_Road Conditions: Slow and Steady
It has been interesting recently seeing the concerns being raised by various parties (Grattan Institute; Council Magazine, to name two) about the lack of funding for roads and the impact this is having on road surfaces, safety and perceived vehicle damage. In terms of the latter, the press has related this to the costs of repair and the stated almost universal refusal of accepting any responsibility / providing compensation by the relevant authorities.
Councils are apparently saying they have reduced funding from State / Federal sources and thus do not have the budgets to provide the normal maintenance services.
Our own observations are that road conditions seem to be worse than in the past and that maintenance seems often ‘on the cheap’ leading to re-work being required fairly soon after the initial repair. The old criticism that potholes are a reqular complaint to Councils, seems to be now be a more real concern and our own observations would support this view – but is it a case of a backlog in catching up with the damage caused by widespread rain / flooding in 2022 or is funding being diverted into other more politically ‘announceable’ areas at the expense of safe roads?