Roadside drainage maintenance across municipality
Published on 17 October 2024
The Horsham Rural City Council (HRCC) operations team is currently upgrading and maintaining roadside drainage in rural areas.
Works were underway along roads in the Jung and Wail areas.
Maintaining roadside drains and culverts is crucial for road upkeep in rural regions, as it prevents water from pooling on roads or flooding nearby crops.
HRCC has a dedicated crew for rural roadside drainage maintenance, which involves cleaning and shaping drains and either cleaning or replacing culverts.
Since the 2022 floods, HRCC crews have addressed over 400 drainage defects on rural roads.
Infrastructure Director John Martin emphasised that while maintenance was ongoing throughout the year, significant rain events often highlight the most severe issues.
“We make decisions about where repairs are made based on the severity of the problems the defective drain is causing, and the priorities identified in our Road Management Plan,” Mr Martin said.
He acknowledged that the community has frustration with some parts of the rural road network.
“All of our graders are working every day they possibly can, weather permitting. Our drainage crew is also working at full capacity, and we are looking for other improvements, including identifying sources of better gravel that will last longer on our roads. We know that there is plenty more work to do right across the municipality,” he said.
HRCC is responsible for maintaining drains within the Council road reserve, including channels and table drains at the side of the road pavement and culverts beneath the road pavement.
However, culverts that provide vehicle access to private land are the responsibility of the landholders.
Council has planned for more than $10 million of expenditure on roads and bridges in its 2024-25 budget.
The Department of Transport and Planning handles the maintenance of highways and major roads.
Report a Drainage Issue
Residents are encouraged to report any necessary repairs to HRCC-managed roads. To request repairs, visit hrcc.vic.gov.au/service-request.