A local resident has highlighted the need for regular maintenance of the region’s unsealed roads after drawing attention to a deep washout across a section of Lower Piambong Road.
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Colin Lockyer placed a works request fearing the washout – deeper than 20cm in some places – would “become a gorge” given the way it worsened with recent rain.
He said the road is on a two-year grading rotation, but this shows that sometimes that time-frame is too long.
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"You might not get heavy rain and the thunderstorms we've been having that cause this sort of damage and it might go well over the two years,” he said.
“But then you get weather, this happens and we're stuck with it."
“Council’s grading schedule is two yearly, however road condition is also a consideration and grading is sometimes completed earlier than scheduled.”
Mr Lockyer added that there was a missed opportunity to repair the road recently with nearby roads being regraded.
"From where the tar ends [at the Castlereagh Highway end] through to Lesters Lane, was as bad as the rest of this and they regraded it about three weeks ago,” he said.
"And about five weeks ago they did Upper Piambong Road and last week they did Erudgere Lane.
“So all the gear was out here then they've taken it away, brought it back done another road and taken it away again."
A spokesperson for Mid-Western Regional Council confirmed that the damage to that section of Lower Piambong Road is being worked on, also that despite the grader being used in the vicinity recently scheduling prevented it from taking on another task at the time.
They added that conditions such as weather damage are taken into account.
“Council has inspected Lower Piambong Road following a number of works requests,” the spokesperson said.
“Council’s Roads Team have filled the washouts at the causeway and are expected to complete some patch grading in the coming weeks.
“Council’s Roads Team have determined there are sections that require maintenance and has programmed works to occur when resources are available.
“The grader that completed works on the nearby Upper Piambong Road was unfortunately booked for another project and could not be utilise for unscheduled works.
“Council’s grading schedule is two yearly, however road condition is also a consideration and grading is sometimes completed earlier than scheduled.”
