Council adopts strategic unsealed road framework

23 September 2021

Maintaining the region’s roads is one of the most critical challenges faced by Southern Downs Regional Council, and in adopting the Unsealed Road Asset and Service Management Plan at the Ordinary Meeting this week, Council now has a robust framework that sets priorities. 

The new plan integrates community values with an informed understanding of the trade-offs between service performance, costs and risk.  With the condition of the region’s roads recently under the microscope, this information will soon be included in the plan to help make the best possible choices when it comes to future road works.

Southern Downs Councillor Andrew Gale said that roads are Council’s core business and the plan would provide a flexible pivot to guide the management of unsealed roads.

“Management of roads is our core business and a complex issue given it is resource and capital intensive,” Councillor Gale said.

“It has previously been unclear where the unsealed road network sat within our jurisdiction, but this management plan gives Council clarity and guidance as to its responsibilities in this space.

“Funding will always present a challenge, but the framework is flexible and goes a long way to addressing and creating more consistency in the way we manage the unsealed road network.”

Council reminds residents that they can register road maintenance concerns at any time through the My SDRC App. Given the expansive footprint of the region, the App is a valuable communications tool between Council and the community and ensures service requests are entered directly into Council’s service database through integrated technology.

Going forward, Council will continue to perform routine and reactive maintenance the region’s roads on a prioritised basis and will complete a condition assessment of unsealed roads.