Hepburn Shire Council has adopted its Road Management Plan 2025–2029, setting out how it will maintain and manage local roads, footpaths, bridges, drainage and related infrastructure over the next four years.
The Plan, which aligns with the Road Management Act 2004, defines which road assets Council is responsible for maintaining and outlines the standards and procedures for their management.
The Plan aims to clarify Council’s responsibilities and to help the community understand what Council can and cannot deliver within its available resources. The Plan also identifies the road assets which are Council responsibility as distinct from roads that are the responsibility of VicRoads.
Council currently maintains about 588 kilometres of sealed roads, 566 kilometres of unsealed roads, 73 kilometres of paths, 95 kilometres of kerb and channel, 52 kilometres of constructed drainage, and 210 bridges and major culverts.
Cr Henderson said the Plan seeks to balance available resources, safety and road conditions with Council’s legislative requirements.
“We acknowledge that our resources are finite and that we must be careful and considered in how we maintain our road network. The Plan considers a range of factors such as risk, community expectations, statutory obligations and value for money,” he said.
Recent community satisfaction surveys have shown that road maintenance remains one of the lowest-rated areas of Council performance, with many residents expressing frustration about the condition of local roads. The new Plan is intended to provide a more transparent framework for how road maintenance priorities are set and managed across the Shire.
The Road Management Plan 2025–2029 is available on the Hepburn Shire Council website.
This article is based on a media release from Hepburn Shire Council.
