Wattle Range Council will debate tonight (Tuesday) a motion from its Mayor Des Noll regarding a solution to repair roads.
Mayor Noll wants his council to advocate to Transport and Infrastructure Minister Tom Koutsantonis for the reinstatement of Highways Department work depots back into local communities within regional South Australia.
According to Maor Noll, the then Liberal Government decided in 2019 to contract out the maintenance of the entirety of the state’s road network.
He said the roads in the South East are in a poor condition.
“Currently the South Australia road network is in arrears of $2b dollars plus for road maintenance and re-builds,” Mayor Noll said.
“Roads like Mile Hill Road, Kangaroo Flat Road, Mount McIntyre Road, Southern Ports Highway and many others will never be repaired or rebuilt under the current system.
“The current State Government contract maintenance arrangement is not working.
“Large amounts of taxpayer monies are being spent on band-aid maintenance solutions and short term capital renewal fixes at the cost of long-term solutions and trafficability for our roads.
“With all the advocacy and roadside tour inspections with politicians, councils and communities around the state have seen very little improvement.
“Pothole damage to road user vehicles continues to be an ongoing issue even on newly constructed sections of state roads.
“I believe the time has come for the State Government to change direction and reinstate back into local communities South Australia Highways Department work depots.
“A local workforce working in these depots would intimately know the road maintenance requirements and road construction issues and be able to respond in a timely manner.
“This shift would empower local companies leveraging local knowledge to benefit the community.
“Economically it will provide greater employment opportunities for local people and build partnerships with Local Governments and private earth moving contractors within its respective communities.
“Recently, I had a discussion with Troy Bell MP, who is supportive of this reinstatement and has had discussions with the Minister regarding this and voiced his concerns in State Parliament.
“As recent as June 13 in The SE Voice, Mr Bell is calling for the reinstatement of Highways Department and road maintenance depots.
“The infrastructure of depots within communities is available to make this change.
“The Millicent community has a vacant Highways Depot on Park Terrace that could easily be reopened as one of these Highways work depots.”
