Roads — Sealed and Unsealed

Council regularly undertakes a detailed assessment of our road network to observe and condition score both the seal (surface bitumen) and pavement (the underlying crushed rock base of the road).

The condition assessment determines the remaining life of both the seal and pavement of our roads by quantifying a number of visible features such as cracking, undulations, potholes, stripping of aggregate from surface, deterioration of bitumen binder and rutting.

The condition assessment is then utilised to develop treatments for roads and plan advanced repairs. Such techniques include seal renewal consisting of either a spray seal resurface, a hot mix asphalt surface or alternatively a pavement renewal consisting of either a Granular pavement reconstruction or a Deep Lift Full Asphalt reconstruction. When a road can no longer be repaired by maintenance works, interventions such as seal renewals and pavement renewals are required.

Council is responsible for maintaining a variety of assets over a large geographic area. The majority of maintenance activities arise from customer requests and regular condition inspections. Where possible, maintenance activities will be programmed to ensure efficient and effective use of resources. To achieve this, Council has adopted a zone maintenance (see links below) approach, allowing for focussed effort in discreet areas. Other maintenance activities are classed as reactive, where high risk or unexpected failures must be immediately attended to.

The maintenance of sealed roads focuses on asphalt work which includes pothole and edge break repairs, as well as heavy patches. Identified defects will be prioritised following a risk assessment. Additional sealed road maintenance activities include kerb and footpath repairs, storm water pit and pipe repairs and cleaning, swale drain maintenance, crack seal and line marking, signage and guidepost reinstatement.

Council prioritises its unsealed roads maintenance based on a road's condition and hierarchy. This involves restoring the driving surface to a desired smoothness and shape by removing irregularities such as corrugations, potholes and/or redistributing road material. Unsealed roads will be re-sheeted with new material when they reach the end of their useful life.

Associated maintenance works such as drainage and guidepost reinstatement might occur in the vicinity of grading works.

Not all roads in the region are managed and maintained by Council; many of our main roads are maintained by the Department for Infrastructure and Transport.