The City of Greater Bendigo is asking residents to be patient as it works to grade and repair unsealed gravel roads and repair damage to sealed roads caused by recent flooding following an unprecedented year of wet weather.
City of Greater Bendigo Presentation and Assets Director Brian Westley said 2022 experienced the wettest October ever recorded in Bendigo’s history and as a result the City has recorded over 1,100 flood related defects.
“We understand the frustrations of residents and are working hard to prioritise and repair damage across the municipality. However, this could take some time and we are asking for residents to be patient as we work through the backlog,” Mr Westley said.
“This year’s wet weather has caused havoc for our grading program and we have put on an additional four grading crews and four additional asset inspection officers to prioritise and plan works according to the greatest need. This is on top of our usual resources.
“In Greater Bendigo we have over 1,400 kilometres of unsealed roads to maintain. Ongoing wet weather throughout the year put us behind with our annual program and this combined with the extensive rain and resulting damage in October has exacerbated the delays.
“We are still assessing the extent of damage caused by wet weather this year and expect the cost to repair will exceed $10 million.
“Some roads, like Lake Eppalock’s Spillway Road has suffered extensive damage and may require a full reconstruction. These types of projects are expected to cost millions and take multiple years to undertake.
“The City is looking at all ways it can expedite the works but in the mean time we do ask for understanding and patience from residents as we continue to prioritise and work through the backlog of works required.”
