Wagga City Council says crumbling Bourke Street upgrade 'does not meet quality standards'

The crumbling condition of Bourke Street has come under scrutiny from one of the city's councillors, who wants to know who is liable for the additional repairs - Wagga City Council or the subcontractor who performed the works in May.

Councillor Tim Koschel said it looked like the work, between Fernleigh Road and Urana Street, had never been done.

"It seems to be falling apart, for a road that should be in brand new condition," Cr Koschel said.

"It's deteriorating really quickly."

Cr Koschel asked staff at the last council meeting about whether the contractor would be accepting responsibility for the repairs.

Staff agreed the work "did not meet quality standards" and took the question on notice.

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Their reply, contained in the agenda for Monday night's council meeting, confirms the contractor will cover the costs of pothole patching on Bourke and Urana streets until the pavement is reworked by them.

Cr Koschel said while it was inconvenient for locals the work had to be done a second time, at least ratepayers wouldn't be liable for substandard work.

"If I went out and bought an Apple Watch and it broke, I could take that back and the manufacturer would fix or replace that for me," he said.

"If we subcontract out and spend the community's money, what kind of warranties are guaranteed to come with them? The last thing we want to do is get another contract and fix a job we've already paid for."

"[The contractor] taking responsibility ultimately holds them accountable for the work, and the money we're spending, so it's a win all round."

The council said the Bourke Street repair contractor was not currently engaged in any other work in the city and it would be investigating whether the premature wear was a result of poor work, or poor materials.

The council spent $20.2 million on repairs and maintenance during the 2022 financial year as its crews worked to fix the city's crumbling, pothole-plagued road network.

The condition of Wagga's roads - including Eunony Bridge Road and Tumbarumba Road, among others - has been a focal point for argument in the community about the council's road maintenance performance.

The major thoroughfares were included on a list of roads sent by the council to former Regional Roads Minister Paul Toole in 2020 for reclassification into state hands.

The move would have the state take responsibility for Eunony Bridge Road and Tumbarumba Road, as well as Bourke Street, Docker Street and Holbrook Road.

The plan was never implemented by the previous state government.

Minister for Regional Roads Jenny Aitchison has not clarified whether the current government intends to pursue the program.

"The former minister failed to release to the public the final report on the Regional Road Transfer and Road Classification Review before the state election, despite it sitting on his desk for four months prior to polling day," Ms Aitchison told The Daily Advertiser in April.

Cr Koschel said the council was keenly aware local roads were not up to standard.

"Our roads in general are disgraceful - there's no other way to put it," he said.

"We know we've got a massive backlog that we need to work on, and council needs to work through."

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