Cardinia Shire Council has endorsed the 2025–29 Road Management Plan at the October Council meeting, setting the statutory maintenance requirements for local roads, bridges and paths.
Council manages more than 1600km of roads and over 900km of paths across the shire. The Road Management Plan (RMP) outlines how often proactive and planned inspections will occur, how quickly Council will respond to reports, and the timeframes for repairs based on severity and asset classification.
Cardinia Shire Mayor Councillor Jack Kowarzik said the adopted plan will help guide Council's approach to managing local infrastructure over the next 4 years.
"Cardinia Shire has experienced remarkable growth over recent years, transforming from a once-regional community into a thriving growth corridor. As our population grows and our townships evolve, we're seeing more pedestrian activity and a greater need for safe, accessible infrastructure—especially for older residents and families."
"This plan represents a significant step forward in community safety. It rebalances our investment priorities to focus more on footpaths and pedestrian access, helping Council improve our overall safety performance." Mayor Kowarzik said.
"This growth has brought new challenges and expectations, and the updated plan ensures that we're responding to these pressures with a clear, consistent, and legally compliant approach. We know our community expects safe, reliable infrastructure, and this plan holds us accountable to deliver just that."
The timeframes set out in the plan represent the maximum periods within which Council must respond to and address defects. Timeframes can vary depending on road or asset classification, location, traffic volumes, risks to public safety, severity of the defect, contractor availability, and external factors such as weather conditions.
The timeframes outlined in the plan ensure Council maintains a consistent, legally compliant, and transparent approach to its infrastructure management.
"While we aim to complete maintenance works as quickly and efficiently as possible, we will always communicate the maximum timeframes outlined in the Road Management Plan to ensure we are being transparent and setting clear expectations of what's required of Council." Mayor Kowarzik said.
The review of the RMP was conducted in line with the Road Management Act 2004 and Road Management (General) Regulations 2016, which require Councils to review their plans every 4 years following a local government election. Community consultation was also completed as part of this review in mid-2025.
"The Road Management Plan is our roadmap for us to prioritise and respond to issues in a way that best serves our community, and I would like to thank all community members who provided feedback as part of the engagement process." Mayor Kowarzik said.
If you are experiencing an issue on a local road or path, please can find out how to report it by visiting www.cardinia.vic.gov.au/report
