HORSHAM Rural City Council will start a new stage of recovery works on flood-damaged roads next month as debate continues over building standards.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In December, Horsham council mayor Pam Clarke called for roads to rebuilt to a more water-resistant standard following the Wimmera’s September floods.
Horsham council technical services director John Martin said the current round’s works would focus on rebuilding roads to their previous standard.
“In the current round we aren’t able to do that; we are doing works up to the current standards,” he said.
“We’re doing planning work to redefine the standards but that won’t be done in time for the current round of recovery works,” he said.
Mr Martin said he was unable to say how much money would be spent or how many kilometres of road would be worked on as a consultant’s report was still due.
Mr Martin said the works were scheduled to continue until about August.
“Work started on several locations last week that were in more of an urgent need because the roads were in poorer condition than others,” he said.
“We’re working on Red Rock Road, w’re then going to be doing some work on Smiths Road and Carters Drive, Wartook.”
“Those are some areas where there has been some significant washaway from floods.”
Horsham council has completed preliminary work that took place soon after the floods had subsided.
“Generally we have done enough work to make them safe and trafficable for the time being and we’re lumping them into tenders that will go out for advertising shortly,” Mr Martin said.
Horsham council is using a mix of state and federal government money to help rebuild the roads, but the use of outside money has restricted the pace of works.
“Some people are expecting the works to be done a little quicker, and I sympathise with that, but trading off using some of our own funds instead of government funds would take away from our other road programs,” Mr Martin said.
Northern Grampians Shire will also increase the pace of its flood recovery works over the next two months.
Northern Grampians Mayor Tony Driscoll said the works had been put out to tender to ensure the shire was eligible for state government funding.
“Unfortunately we are unable to undertake the works ourselves as we are required to hire contractors in order to claim emergency recovery funding,” he said.
“This is a large tender and it has taken some time to put in place, but once it’s all finalised we can move ahead with what needs to be done.”
Cr Driscoll said Northern Grampians Shire had carried out emergency work on the roads since September in order to make them trafficable, however there was still widespread damage.
“Our unsealed road network showed immediate damage, but our sealed roads have also been impacted. While they may have looked okay after the floods, the seeping water, combined with increased traffic during harvest, have caused some breakage,” he said.
Cr Driscoll said Council thanked residents for their patience during this time and urged them to take care on the roads while they were being repaired.