Roads.....

After my trip to Roma today, I got to thinking about roads again, so I have decided that the “Issue of the day” is roads.

Town Streets

I believe that in this day and age, it is unacceptable for our urban areas to have town streets that are unsealed and without kerbing and channelling. Council should set a plan in place to seal the remaining unsealed streets in urban areas. Council should also look to install kerbing and channelling in town streets where block sizes are 2 acres or less.

Rural Roads

I would propose that a program of upgrading the more heavily used local roads within the shire. Roads such as the Bollon Road, The Redford road, the Mount Moffatt road, The Maranoa road and many more besides should have a plan in place to bring the formed earth sections of road up to a gravel sheeting standard with a view to sealing these roads as finances allow. Any works being undertaken now should be done in such a way to allow for the further improvement of the road without significant reworking. For example, when gravel sheeting these roads, the material used and the amount used should be such that, if required, the road could be sealed at a later date without significant further work.

A study must also be undertaken to identify the weak links in the council road infrastructure network, for example, there is a pressing need for the installation of a raised crossing on the Womalilla creek on the Middle road.

Main Roads and Highways

In the last 10 years, we have seen a continual decline in the condition of the State and federal roads across the shire. A continued neglect and lack of funding has become evident as the state government becomes more centralised in their focus narrowing to the South East corner.

The Warrego highway from one end to the other is mediocre in the good bits and downright disgraceful in the rest. Council must take on a lobbying role to get some works done.

The Warrego Highway has the highest ratio of Heavy vehicles as a proportion of total daily traffic, yet we continue to see minimal standards of design and no bonus for rideability in road construction contracts.

Main Roads needs to be actively working on a plan to get all state controlled roads up to at least a 6m bitumen seal. We still have State roads with single lane timber bridges on main roads within the shire! The time has come to drag the condition of state and national controlled roads in the shire into the 20^th century, let alone the 21^st century.