Addressing the condition of Wagga's roads will be top of the agenda for the city's new councillors when they meet formally for the first time on Monday night.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Returning councillor Dan Hayes has filed a notice of motion calling for the creation of a comprehensive report on the region's roads
The report would include information on how Wagga's roads compare to those in other local government areas, what factors have led to their deterioration and how much funding would be required to adequately address the issue.
IN OTHER NEWS
The motion comes off the back of a council election where the disastrous state of the region's roads was the most common grievance raised by residents and candidates alike.
"This report would just be about getting all the relevant information available to all councillors and accessible to all the community," Cr Hayes said.
"Having all the information together means we can have the best possible conversations with the community because there's no quick fix to this issue."
The elected councillors will have a significantly shorter term than usual due to the delayed election and Cr Hayes said it was crucial to begin working on the roads issue as soon as possible.
"We may as well start from day one, our very first meeting, and make sure that the roads are on the agenda and not just being talked about then forgotten," he said.
First-time councillor Georgie Davies centred her election campaign around addressing the "shocking" state of Wagga's roads and welcomed the notice of motion from Cr Hayes.
Cr Davies said she would be pushing to ensure research is done on ways the council can learn from other local governments across the state.
"I'll probably be looking to make an amendment to the report that they also look at the quality of materials we're using to fix potholes," she said.
"Why reinvent the wheel? I think there's great opportunities to explore what other councils are doing and pick at their findings so that we can manage our roads better."
Wagga Residents and Ratepayers Association president Chris Roche welcomed the motion but urged the councillors to pursue actual improvements to roads as well.
"Roads are extremely important because the state of disrepair is incredible in Wagga roads," Mr Roche said.
"My only concern is, is this just another report for the sake of a report?"
Councillors will discuss and vote on the notice of motion on Monday night following the election of the city's new mayor and deputy mayor.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark dailyadvertiser.com.au
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters