The Bega Valley Shire Council says its roads maintenance backlog has “significantly reduced” over the past five years.
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The council was responding to media inquiries following an NRMA report, which found almost $2billion is needed to bring the state’s roads up to “satisfactory condition”.
The NRMA report flagged the Bega Valley’s backlog as in the order of $1.89million, up 28.4 per cent on the figure recorded in the previous 12 month period.
However, BVSC director of transport and utilities Terry Dodds said those figures are still well below the $39.2m backlog of the year before (2013-14).
“The backlog has only risen as a result of mandatory revaluation to the roadside ancillary assets such as guardrail and chain wire fencing, and also changes in codes of accounting practice,” Mr Dodds said.
“The reportable categories have changed between the reporting periods also.
“One of the challenges in monitoring asset renewal relates to having consistent methodology. Using the previous methodology, as of June 30, 2014, BVSC’s backlog was $39,200,000.
“For June 30, 2015 the industry adopted different methodology which changed the backlog to $1,473,000. As reported, the current backlog as of June 30, 2016 is $1,891,000.
“The new methodology takes into consideration whether council has programmed renewals in their forward plans, thus addressing the backlog and risk to asset condition.”
Mr Dodds said, when considering the trend over the past five years, “Council’s backlog has significantly reduced”.
”It should be noted that the reportable backlog is limited to the financial year reporting period and can fluctuate from year to year following such events as asset condition assessment, revaluation, recognition and disposal of assets, and natural disasters.
“In 2014 two floods negatively affected condition. As the transport infrastructure was repaired, the condition reflected same.
“Unfortunately, due to the slow response from the National Disaster Recovery Fund, it can take over a year just to have the Schedule of Works approved.
“This inadvertently is reflected in the asset condition assessment.”