Road Investment Strategy
Bundaberg Regional Council is responsible for 3084 kilometres of sealed and unsealed road network with an estimated value of $1.18 billion. In order to best manage periodic maintenance and new or upgrade works across the road network, a good understanding of levels of service, demand and prioritisation is required.
As our community grows and the road network ages, robust investment decisions are required to ensure a safe road network can be provided that also supports growth and community expectation. In order to achieve this, Council has developed a future focused Road Investment Strategy which adopts a proactive approach to servicing growth while making provision for the maintenance and improvement of existing road infrastructure.
The strategy outlines the long-term approach to the management of road assets, derived from, or consistent with, the strategic plans of Council. Key objectives of the strategy include:
- Adopting a proactive risk-based approach to asset management to achieve good value for money outcomes for the community
- Ensure an objective, transparent and consistent approach to prioritisation of capital works is applied based on whole of network needs
- Providing clear prioritisation of future projects based on level of service criteria
- Ensuring the efficient delivery of Council’s long-term capital works program on time and on budget
- Managing the road network to ensure the safety and wellbeing of road users and provide the sustainable use of existing and future infrastructure
- Understanding and meeting the demands of growth through managing infrastructure investment to support local industry and the community
- Increasing community resilience to natural hazards and disaster events
- Focus on continued improvement of asset management practices.
This Strategy aligns with Council’s overarching Corporate Plan designed to build Australia’s best regional community and has been developed in partnership with the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB). The final version of the Strategy was tabled for consideration by Council at the Ordinary Meeting on Tuesday, 29 June 2021 and has been formally adopted.
In developing the Strategy, a public consultation period was undertaken from Monday, 15 March 2021 to Friday, 16 April 2021. A total of thirteen submissions were received from the public. A detailed review of all submissions was undertaken, together with a technical review of the Strategy to ensure all items raised were appropriately addressed. A Response to Community Submissions Report that summarises the public consultation undertaken, community submissions received and Council’s responses to the submissions received is provided below.