DTMR road workers were working in Nanango on Wednesday morning as part of a maintenance program they are carrying out on main roads around the region (Photo: Keren Mcsweeney)
Roads portfolio chair
Cr Spud Jones

February 15, 2017

A review of the South Burnett Regional Council’s road work operations has found some areas where productivity improvements can be made.

Roads portfolio chair Cr Spud Jones told Wednesday’s Council meeting an efficiency audit to assess the SBRC’s road works program – covering all areas from planning through to handling residents’ requests – had recently been conducted by Stephen Hedegus, a senior asset manager with Shepherd Services Pty Ltd.

Apart from auditing the Council’s own processes, Mr Hedegus had also compared the SBRC’s road maintenance practices against similar Councils in Queensland.

Cr Jones said Councillors were pleased with the review, which found the Council has largely been pursuing best practice.

However, the report made 15 recommendations where operations can be further improved, and these are now being examined.

The recommendations cover planning and design; financial, asset, fleet and gravel management; and operational improvements.

* * *

Cr Jones also told Wednesday’s meeting the Council is continuing to receive praise from residents for its road maintenance work.

The main frustration people had was waiting for a road crew to get to their area and this was understandable, he said.

But once a road crew arrived and began work, residents were usually very pleased with the end result.

“I had one resident tell me that a recent grade we did on his road was the best he’d ever had,” Cr Jones said.

“And just this morning another resident who’d been pretty cranky with us left a message to say our road crew had done a great job and he really appreciated the difference they’d made.”

* * *

Seal widening work on the Blackbutt Crows Nest Road should be completed by early March, Cr Jones said, and this will be followed by seal widening work on Franks Road.

Intersection improvements at Coolabunia have now started, and intersection improvements on the Kingaroy Barkers Creek Road and Clark and Swendson Road are expected to be finished in the next few weeks.

Installing large box culverts to improve drainage along Alford Street near the Kingaroy pool is another major capital works project nearing completion.

All that remains is to asphalt the road surface and install footpaths and barrier rails.

* * *

Over the next few weeks sealing will be carried out on Kitoba Road at Kitoba; Agnes Street in Kingaroy; Haly Street in Wondai; and Chester Street, Nanango.

Gravel resheeting will occur on the Booie Road shoulders in Booie; the Memerambi Barkers Creed Road at Wattlecamp; and Corndale Road’s shoulders in Memerambi.

Formation work will be carried out on Old Wondai Road and Hoggs Road at Charlestown.


 

One Response to "Road Work Operations Pass Audit"

  1. What was the point of the review if there’s not going to be wholesale change as promised in all the hype of this review?

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