MEDIA RELEASE

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

13 December 2021

A year to fix and a day to fall apart –rural road repair disappoints users

It took a year to fix and deteriorated after one hot day – the Owen to Hamley Bridge Road is a disgrace, according to Member for Frome Geoff Brock MP.

More than a year ago Mr Brock asked for a site inspection on this well used rural freight road after receiving troubling photographs from a Hamley Bridge resident whose husband hit a dangerous pothole, had a near miss with an oncoming semi-trailer, and severely damaged his vehicle.

“There was a very large pothole in the road, which had not been repaired, so I contacted the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Corey Wingard asking for an urgent site inspection,” Mr Brock said.

After lobbying for critical repairs for the road in 2019 Mr Brock was pleased, at the time, that the State Government had agreed for about 800 metres of the road to be scheduled for rehabilitation and completion by March 2020.

“Unfortunately, it has taken three years to see any remediation works, and only patching work has been done.

“The workmanship is obviously poor quality, as the patching broke down and deteriorated after the first hot day we have had this season – and we have only had one hot day!” Mr Brock said.

“It’s harvest time, so grain trucks are using the road and are tearing up the bitumen, causing additional damage to the already poor surface.”

The road is deemed by Mr Brock and its users to be unsafe, with evidence of windscreen damage from flying gravel, dangerous potholes and ruts.

“Users are also unimpressed that the ‘fix’ by the Department appears to be speed reduction signage, slowing vehicles to 40km/h,” he said.

Mr Brock said he was again calling on Minister Wingard to authorise immediate action to have this road properly repaired and to investigate the poor workmanship which has already been carried out at the State’s expense.

“We need urgent action on this road with repairs, as promised, to ensure the safety of our communities and maintain the integrity of a critical transport route,” Mr Brock said.

ENDS