La Nina: Will Roads Withstand Future Disasters?
La Nina has arrived – yet again.
As NSW prepares for severe floods, we are reminded of the high and accumulative cost of road repair and maintenance following a natural disaster.
We’ve seen the damage on our roads from the floods back in July this year. Councils are working to fix the many roads that recent floods ripped apart, but government funding is continuously falling short of what is required by the community.
The Local Government NSW president, Darriea Turley, said “before the flooding crisis, the road maintenance backlog was already sitting at $1.7 billion.” Therefore, huge financial challenges are expected for councils as they work towards rebuilding their communities.
Turley then notes that as crucial as it is to have sufficient funding and support from governments, “roads across NSW cannot just simply be rebuilt, but rather, they need to be rebuilt to withstand future disasters.”
This takes a proactive stance to road construction and maintenance as the east coast continues to be lashed by heavy rainfall.
If you require urgent pavement testing and consultation on any damaged roads, we offer our professional services nationwide. Please use our website to learn about the services you may require and contact us for a free quote.
For further reading on the impact of flooding on NSW roads, please visit https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/mar/12/roads-ripped-apart-by-nsw-and-queensland-floods-must-be-rebuilt-stronger-councils-say?CMP=share_btn_link
Severe damage on Wattamolla Road near Woodhill Mountain. Image credit @gracecrivellaro