By Eleanor Wilson
Road satisfaction in the City of Casey is trailing at just 56 per cent, according to recent figures.
The Casey City Council Performance Statement for the year ending June 2022 shows satisfaction with sealed local roads is sitting at 56 per cent, compared with 62 per cent for 2020/’21.
The figures do not come as a surprise to Narre Warren resident Owen Carlton, who is “absolutely disgusted” with local road surface conditions.
The ex auto-engineer believes more money needs to be poured into council and state-managed roads.
“They have to start spending some money and fixing potholes before they become craters,” he said.
Mr Carlton, who has called Narre Warren home for two decades, said he has noticed road surface conditions in the area deteriorating over the last decade.
“Generally, all the way through Narre Warren, from say, Tinks Road to Parkmore Drive – one has to weave, unsafely in traffic, to avoid the multitude of potholes that are right through the upper surface layer,” he said.
“At what stage are these bad enough, to warrant the spending of money, to make the roads safe for traffic?”
My Car Fountain Gate store manager Sean Artus said he had noticed a big increase in the number of customers needing tyre repairs and replacements in recent months.
“Probably in the last four months we’ve seen an increase… I [replace] tyres for about one car per week now,” he said.
Comparably, Mr Artus estimates he was repairing tyres just once a month at the start of this year.
“When you hit a pothole at speed, the tyre will take most of the impact and it will blow out the sidewall, depending on the size of the pothole. If it is a severe one, it can cause suspension damage,” he said.
Despite the downward trend in road satisfaction, the City of Casey said its budget for road maintenance increased 30 per cent this year – to $10 million.
The costs are projected to increase as older roads are rebuilt, City of Casey’s City presentation manager David Richardson said.
“The ongoing wet weather increases the potholing of roads because water gets into the crushed rock base of the road through cracks in the asphalt seal. Gravel roads also deteriorate rapidly under wet conditions and traffic,” he said.
“Council has a Road Management Plan that details how we manage, inspect and maintain roads.”
Mr Richardson said the council inspects complaints about the local roads network “within 10 working days or within six hours if the defects are identified as likely to create a danger or serious inconvenience”.
He said overall road satisfaction is also influenced by the quality of state-run roads, which are managed by the Department of Transport.
The department’s investment in road maintenance in the Narre Warren North area totalled nearly $900,000 in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 budget, according to a Department of Transport spokesperson.
“Our priority is keeping people safe and that is why we have crews out inspecting every kilometre of our road network on a regular basis, identifying and repairing hazards so that they can be fixed or managed until long-term repairs can occur,” the spokesperson said.
The department noted its road maintenance efforts are modified during winter months, when the state experiences more rain.
“We need to wait for warmer, drier weather to be able to deliver long-term repairs that will last – delivering this type of work when it’s wet or cold drastically increases the risk of the works failing.”
Instead, the department said it focuses on “routine maintenance” during winter months, which “delivers quick fixes for issues such as potholes or minor pavement failures”.
“During the warmer months, we also deliver hundreds of kilometres of resurfacing and sealing work, which helps to safeguard against water damage and extend the lifespan of our roads.”
It said potholes on arterial roads are typically repaired within 24 hours of being reported by crews or members of the public.
Members of the community who come across potholes or any other damage on roads are encouraged to report them by calling the dedicated Department of Transport customer service hotline on 13 11 71.
