Road repairs critical as floods continue
Tricia Duffield
Managing the network of sealed and unsealed roads across the Bourke Shire falls on the shoulders of Roads Manager Paul Flanagan, who is juggling a limited workforce and persistent rain and flooding to keep the roads open.
Flooded, boggy unsealed roads will require a huge effort once the weather dries out, but Mr Flanagan said the most urgent priority was maintaining the sealed roads across the Shire which were taking a hammering in the unprecedented conditions.
Bourke Shire Council maintains 192 kilometres of sealed regional roads and 380 kilometres of unsealed regional roads for the Department of Transport. The Council has full responsibility for local roads - 48 kilometres sealed, 1835 unsealed.
State highways such as the Mitchell Highway and Kidman Way are additional roads the Council maintains on behalf of the Department of Transport and for which Council is reimbursed. In total, it is an enormous network, under very real pressure during the constant flood and rain events which are set to continue to at least the end of the year.
Mr Flanagan is having to juggle road crews to keep on top of the changing conditions, using staff from road construction projects now on hold due to the weather, and deploying them to the maintenance and repair of damaged surfaces.
The roads are under constant assessment to prevent minor potholes becoming major obstructions.
“It’s a case of swings and roundabouts at the moment,” Mr Flanagan said.
“The unusual conditions are certainly keeping us busy and we are constantly checking the roads to make sure we keep them open, because once water gets under the road seal through a pothole or a defect it can very quickly deteriorate.
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