Draft Unsealed Roads Policy

Council currently maintains over 450km of unsealed roads. To assist both customers and staff, Council has developed a Draft Unsealed Roads Policy which transparently sets out the principles by which Council manages all formed unsealed roads, access tracks within Council road reserve and unformed (paper) roads within the unsealed road network throughout the Local Government Area (LGA).

With current funding Council grades approximately 600km of road and gravel re-sheets 6km of road annually (with grading and intervention frequency dictated by the classification of the road and emerging / reactive management of risk).

Council is committed to continually exploring ways in which the level of service can be improved with available resources and regularly invests in reviewing processes to optimise and improve efficiency.

This includes recent alternative options such as the reuse of milled sealed road pavement and the use of recycled crushed concrete to supplement the gravel re-sheeting program.

Other options which will be further developed over the next 12 months include:

1. supplementing gravel supply with crushed concrete and other appropriate materials,

2. education and signage for improved community awareness,

3. partnering with the community to undertake the works,

4. sale of local roads (as appropriate) to the land owners to create private roads that they can manage and maintain as they see fit,

5. workshops with the community to have them work through weighing off the levels of service for say vegetation, gravel and grading and respective budget allocations.

A breakdown of the unsealed road network, by road classification, within the LGA is provided below.

The main elements of the unsealed roads policy relate to the:

• classification of unsealed roads,
• the principles by which Council will manage the unsealed road network having regard to road classification, and
• the levels of service Council can provide in managing the unsealed road network with the current funding levels.

For more information about the range of maintenance activities undertaken by Council on our unsealed roads please refer to the Fact Sheet in the Document Library.

Port Macquarie-Hastings Council is asking the community to provide feedback on the draft Unsealed Roads Policy. To share your views, use the Submission tab below or send an email or post your response to:

Email: council@pmhc.nsw.gov.au

Post: The General Manager
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council
PO Box 84
Port Macquarie NSW 2444

Further details may be obtained by contacting James Prosser on 6581 8111 or by email at council@pmhc.nsw.gov.au

Submissions close on Wednesday 3 October, 2018.