By Alesha Capone
Wyndham council has expressed “frustration” with the maintenance of arterial roads across the municipality.
The council last week sent a letter about the issue to Roads Minister Ben Carroll in response to a notice of motion councillor Mia Shaw raised in May.
The motion requested the council write to the Department of Transport (DOT) seeking an audit of Wyndham’s state arterial roads to assess their performance and condition.
The motion also asked that a letter be sent to Mr Carroll, “outlining the community’s frustration with the current state of maintenance of state road assets and the need for the network to keep pace with the growing and changing needs of Wyndham”.
While the council is responsible for some roads in Wyndham, DOT oversees many arterial roads.
Cr Shaw said although the state government’s recently completed $1.8 billion Western Roads Upgrade was “very welcome”, more work was needed in Wyndham on issues like congested intersections, unsealed shoulders and a lack of safe crossing points for pedestrians and cyclists.
Cr Shaw said that shoulder maintenance, “pavement failures” and potholes were issues on Duncans Road, with Ballan Road, Point Cook Road and Heaths Road also in need of attention.
Cr Susan McIntyre said agreed with Cr Shaw, saying many Wyndham roads – including median strips and verges – “are of an unacceptable standard”.
A state government spokesperson said keeping road users safe was its “number one priority”.
“Our specialist safety crews carry out regular maintenance and hazard inspections across Wyndham and the broader road network, but that is just one aspect of how we make journeys safe and comfortable,” they said.
“The Andrews Labor government has already delivered congestion-busting upgrades to eight key roads in Wyndham – as well as carrying out resurfacing on 37 roads between Footscray and Werribee – under the Western Roads Upgrade, and we’re investing more than $32 million in major improvements in the area.”
