Agriculture
9 July, 2023
Gravel crash: Flood fix starts again
CONTRACTORS have been forced to start again on a $3 million project repairing a flood-damaged road. Residents claim workers were within days of resealing more than 3km of the Prairie-Rochester Road when the State Government ordered the changes...
CONTRACTORS have been forced to start again on a $3 million project repairing a flood-damaged road.
Residents claim workers were within days of resealing more than 3km of the Prairie-Rochester Road when the State Government ordered the changes.
Prairie farmers said original plans raised the road 150mm but did not replace culverts.
“Now the contractors have been told remove that 150mm and still no new culverts,” said Alan Wiltshire.
“We tried to tell the Transport Department that without replacing culverts, it would be a complete disaster. They haven’t listened,
“The contractors did a great job ... the project was within days of the road being ready for sealing and then they were told there had been a change of plans.
“For what it’s costing to start again and drop the road back down 150mm, they could have put in better culverts to better manage future floods. It’s a total waste of money.”
Mr Wiltshire said the costly road fix “is not going to improve the road one iota”.
And Mr Wiltshire’s frustrations are shared by Emily Hocking whose family farm remains blocked with the second attempt at works expected to take another month to complete.
“It would have been finished by now and we would have had access to our property,” she said.
They also said residents around Prairie had attempted to contact Regional Roads Victoria early this year about plans for road repairs and culverts but Mr Wiltshire said: “I got a case number but never heard a word.”
Prairie-Rochester Road was one of the last to re-open after the October flood emergency and the State Government announced funding to “replace the road with a stronger base and new surface, boosting the hundreds of farmers, freight and local residents who use the road each day”.
A Government spokesperson said: “Following commencement of repair works, a design revision indicated further excavation was required in an isolated area to maintain the section of road’s existing surface levels. Works have continued after the design revision was approved.”
“The works remain within budget and are on track for completion in August.”
The spokesperson said site inspections were made by the Department of Transport and Planning after October’s floods to determine the preliminary scope of works between Bendigo-Pyramid Road and Phillips Road.
Roadworks stop about 800 metres from the Bendigo-Pyramid Road intersection.