A guard rail along the Lexton Amphitheatre Road was damaged almost three years ago in the 2019 bushfires.

Fixing the damage is expected to cost $62,198 and the council has been unable to secure funding.

Normally the Natural Disaster Funding Arrangements would be able to offer grants to help with the clean up, most of the efforts in the Pyrenees shire involved removing trees or fallen debris and replacing signs and guideposts.

Applications to the NDFA are assessed by the Department of Transport who have decided the council's claim because it is "ineligible for reimbursement".

Council is required to provide photographic proof that damage to the guard rail had not occurred prior to the 2019 bushfires.

These photos can not be more than four years old.

While the council has provided the DoT with the photos from a 2016 report, the photos do not include the correct metadata that proves the exact date the photos were taken.

"It does not meet the guidelines for this information," the DoT said in response to the council's funding request.

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The council has not needed to provide this level of metadata to request disaster support before.

Council minutes state the shire was in the process of changing their standards so future records would be in line with the new guidelines.

"Council have invested in the collation of photographic evidence to the standard required by the new guidelines in anticipation that future disasters will inevitably occur."

The money needed to repair the guardrail is not allocated in the Pyrenees shire's budget and will be an out of pocket expense.

Council officers have recommended the councilors write to the relevant agencies to review the decision. A vote will be held at a council meeting on Tuesday evening.

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