Council issues update on roads and capital works

MIDCOAST councillors viewed reports on the progress and expenditure of capital works and roadworks programs at council’s last Ordinary Meeting.

As of 13 March, Council is 70 percent of the way through the 2025-26 financial year, while the total maintenance expenditure is at just over 74 percent of the budget.

Council says the effects of the extreme increases in fuel and material costs will be monitored closely over the coming months.

Fuel costs have gone up around 30 percent, while bitumen is reported as possibly increasing by as much as 50 percent, with supply itself a concern if the Middle East conflict continues.

Director of Infrastructure and Engineering Services Rob Scott said that if issues with the cost and supply of materials continue in the longer term, it will expand the funding gap between the road work Council needs to do and the funds available to do them.

“While we will do everything to pivot and do the best with what we’ve got, we are feeling the effects of supply chain and cost issues,” said Mr Scott.

“We’re also still recovering from the May 2025 flood, with a lot of our programs influenced by emergency response works such as potholing, grading, vegetation and drainage management, and bridge repair, with substantially more work done in those categories than we originally planned.

“As Disaster Recovery Funding trickles through, we will see more work taking place across the road network.”

Drainage works are planned for a range of locations from Harrington in the north to Tea Gardens in the south.

“However, there is some overlap between planned works and the Disaster Relief Funding Agreements program of works, with time being taken to assess the recovery work we are proposing,” Council said in a statement.

Recent or current capital works include The Bucketts Way, Krambach; Manning Point Road; Red Head Road; Wanya Road, Tea Gardens; Boomerang Drive, Blueys Beach; Lansdowne Road, Lansdowne.

A focus on line-marking over 2025-26 saw safety improvements to Thunderbolts Way, The Lakes Way north, Booral Road, and Myall Way.

Crack sealing works were completed along Manning River Drive; while heavy patching works were done on Cedar Party Road; Youngs Road; The Bucketts Way; Upper Lansdowne Road; Ravenshaw Street, Gloucester; Denison Street, Gloucester; Philip Street, Gloucester; The Bucketts Way, Gloucester; and Bulga Road.

More safety and prevention works are planned this financial year for other areas.

A number of sewer treatment plant upgrades are underway, including at Harrington, Hawks Nest, and Gloucester.