Moyne Shire ROAD MANAGEMENT PLAN VERSION 3 Pursuant to Section 52 of the Road Management Act 2004 this Plan was adopted by Council on the 23 July 2013
DOCUMENT CONTROL SHEET Document: Road Management Plan Review PO Box 51, Port Fairy, Vic 3284. Telephone: (03) 5558 7888 Fax: (03) 5599 2304 Mobile: 0466 207 836 Email: ljohnston@moyne.vic.gov.au www.moyne.vic.gov.au Title: Road Management Plan Version 3 Project Manager: Design Author: Leah Johnston Manager Engineering & Leah Johnston Synopsis: The document has been prepared in response to the requirements of the RM Act 2004 for Council to review its RMP in accordance with S 301(3) of the Road Management (General) Regulations 2005. Version No. SCHEDULE OF ADOPTION & REVISION Date Comment File Reference Version 1 23/11/04 New Road Management Plan adopted by Council Version 1 25/09/07 Amended - Various Version 2 26/10/10 Amended - Various Version 3 23/07/13 Road Management Plan adopted by Council Page 2 of 26 09/04/13
Contents 1 BACKGROUND... 4 1.1 Purpose and Scope of Plan... 4 1.1.1 Key Road Assets Statistics... 4 1.1.2 Plan Inspection... 4 1.2 Key Stakeholders... 5 1.3 Obligations of Road Users... 5 1.4 Road Asset Strategies... 6 1.4.1 Plan... 6 1.5 Development of Road Programs and Annual Roads Budget... 7 2 ROAD ASSET DESCRIPTION... 8 2.1 Road Register... 8 2.2 Road and Footpath Hierarchy... 8 2.2.1 Road Classifications... 8 2.2.2 Footpath Classifications... 10 2.3 Road Management Responsibilities... 11 2.3.1 Moyne Shire... 11 2.3.2 VicRoads... 11 2.3.3 Abutting Municipalities... 11 2.3.4 Department of Sustainability and Environment (D.S.E)... 12 2.3.5 VicTrack and Australian Rail Track Corporation... 12 2.3.6 Un-made Private Streets and Township Lanes... 12 2.3.7 Utility Assets... 12 3 ROAD ASSET STANDARDS... 13 3.1 Community Consultation and Moyne Residents Expectations... 13 3.2 Adoption of Standards for Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation... 13 3.2.1 Maintenance Standards for Structures... 13 3.2.2 Design Standards for Structures... 13 3.2.3 Maintenance Standards for Footpaths/Bicycle Paths... 13 3.2.4 Design Standards for Footpaths/Bicycle Paths... 14 4 MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO INSPECT MAINTAIN AND REPAIR... 15 4.1 Road Management System... 15 4.2 Road Asset Inspections... 15 4.2.1 Safety Inspections... 15 4.2.2 Incident Inspections... 15 4.2.3 Defect Inspections... 16 4.3 Defect Reporting and Prioritisation of Repairs... 17 4.3.1 Sealed Roads... 17 4.3.2 Unsealed Roads... 17 4.3.3 Structures... 17 4.3.4 Footpaths/Bicycle Paths... 18 4.4 Service Request System... 18 4.5 Emergency Response... 18 4.6 Implementation of Road Maintenance Repairs... 19 4.7 Road Rehabilitation Priorities... 19 4.8 Exceptional Circumstances... 19 5 REVIEW OF ROAD MANAGEMENT PLAN... 21 5.1 Audits... 21 5.2 Plan Review... 21 5.3 Amendment of Road Management Plan... 21 APPENDIX 1 22 Page 3 of 26 09/04/13
1 BACKGROUND 1.1 Purpose and Scope of Plan This Road Management Plan for Moyne Shire Municipal Roads has been prepared to meet the following objectives: To minimise safety risk in regard to Council controlled road assets; To inform the Moyne community of Council s funding constraints, policies; strategies, current levels of service and operational practices in regard to municipal road management; and To meet the requirements of the Road Management Act 2004. This Plan encompasses the following road infrastructure for which Council is responsible. Roads and Ancillary Areas (carparks, rest areas, etc) - sealed and unsealed roads in both rural and urban areas, including: road pavements, kerb & channel road shoulders and drainage road furniture - road signs, guideposts, guard rail and barrier fences Structures - Road bridges and major culverts - Cattle underpasses Footpaths and bicycle paths Assets on Arterial roads are not included in this Plan as Arterial Roads are the responsibility of VicRoads. The exceptions are service roads, ancillary areas, footpaths, bicycle paths and roadsides in urban areas, for which Council becomes the responsible authority, either via a code of practice, or agreement with VicRoads. 1.1.1 Key Road Assets Statistics Council is the responsible authority for approximately 1515km of sealed rural roads, 101km of sealed urban roads, 1071km of rural gravel surfaced roads, and 56km of urban gravel surfaced roads. It maintains 191 municipal structures, of which includes 113 bridge structures, 73 major culverts and 5 footbridges. Council also maintains a significant network of sealed and concrete footpaths and bicycle paths in its townships 1.1.2 Plan Inspection The Plan may be viewed by the public and is available for inspection Monday to Friday at the following locations and times: Port Fairy Office: Princes Street, Port Fairy, 8.45am to 4.45 pm Mortlake Office: 1 Jamieson Avenue, Mortlake, 8.45am to 4.45pm Macarthur Office: High Street, Macarthur, 8.45am to 4.45pm. The Plan may also be viewed on Council s website at www.moyne.vic.gov.au Page 4 of 26 09/04/13
1.2 Key Stakeholders The key stakeholders in the community who are both users of the road network and/or are affected by it include: The community in general (for recreation, sport, leisure & business); Residents & businesses adjoining the road network; Pedestrians (including the very young, those with disabilities, and the elderly with somewhat limited mobility); Users of a range of miscellaneous smaller, lightweight vehicles such as pedal cyclists, motorised buggies, wheel chairs, prams, etc; Vehicle operators using motorised vehicles such as trucks, buses, commercial vehicles, cars and motor cycles; Tourists & visitors to the area; Emergency agencies (Police, Fire, Ambulance, VICSES); Special interest groups (eg Diary Industry); Construction & maintenance personnel who build and maintain asset components; Utility agencies that utilise the road reserve for their infrastructure (water, sewerage, gas, electricity, telecommunications); Council as custodian of the asset; and State & Federal Government that periodically provide support funding to assist with management of the network. 1.3 Obligations of Road Users The Road Safety Act 1986, Section 17A, sets out the obligations of road users. These require a person who drives a motor vehicle to drive in a safe manner, having regard to all relevant factors which include the: Physical characteristics of the road; Prevailing weather conditions; Level of visibility; Condition of the motor vehicle; Prevailing traffic conditions; Relevant road laws and advisory signs; and Physical and mental condition of the driver. Other obligations of road users are also set out in the Act in regard to relationships with other road users, and damage to road infrastructure. There are several assets within the road reserve that Council does not have an obligation to maintain and which are the responsibility of abutting land owners. These include: 1. Vehicle crossings (driveways) - the portion of a vehicle crossing located between the carriageway and the property boundary is the responsibility of the adjoining property owner to maintain. 2. Town nature strips & rural roadsides - those residual areas between the edge of the road or back of the kerb and the property boundary not occupied by the footpath and private road crossings. Town naturestrips are normally sown to grass with Page 5 of 26 09/04/13
responsibility for maintenance of the grass generally being left to the property owner. 3. Single property stormwater drains - constructed within the reserve from the property boundary to a discharge outlet in the kerb or into the drain. They are there to benefit the property and as such are the responsibility of the owner of the property being served to maintain. 1.4 Road Asset Strategies This Road Management Plan has been prepared to accord with other Council plans and strategies including: Plan 2013-2017 Moyne Shire Asset Management Policy Moyne Shire Roads Strategy 1.4.1 Plan The Plan 2013 2017 is a blue print for the Council s operation and development over the next 4 years. It provides direction, and outlines a range of commitments over that period. The Plan is a dynamic document that is updated annually to reflect changing priorities and external factors. The Chief Executive Officer and staff of Moyne Shire support the Mayor and Councillors to achieve the strategic objectives through efficient and effective management, productive communication and appropriate infrastructure provision. 1.4.1.1 Infrastructure Key Issues Some of the key infrastructure issues impacting on the Moyne Shire road network include: aging and deteriorating road network; community pressure for new and/or upgraded assets; and impact of increase in mass load limits on roads. 1.4.1.2 Objectives The objectives of the Council Plan relating to roads are: To ensure that the Shire continues to be an attractive and desirable place in which to live and work; To continuously improve our roads to ensure they are safe and more trafficable; and To protect and preserve assets that are demonstrably needed. 1.4.1.3 Strategies The strategies adopted to achieve the objectives of the Council Plan relating to roads are: Set and monitor service levels for Council s assets; Continuously improve the condition of the road network (roads, bridges, streets and footpaths); Provide a strategic approach to the management of transport movement in the Shire; Support the community to maintain and enhance community-use facilities. Page 6 of 26 09/04/13
1.4.1.4 Asset Management Policy In April 2012, Council adopted an amended Asset Management Policy to assist Council to: Set Council direction in providing new assets and maintaining current assets to meet service needs to the community; Inform the Moyne community of Council s expectations in regard to asset management; To minimise risk; and To clarify roles and responsibilities. 1.4.1.5 Asset Management Strategy In April 2012, Council adopted an Asset Management Strategy to assist Council to: develop a structured set of actions aimed at enabling Council to improve its asset management practices in line with Council s Corporate Plan and Asset Management Policy. Subesquently, asset management plans were then developed specifically for different asset classes, with one pertaining to roads. 1.5 Development of Road Programs and Annual Roads Budget Council reviews its road maintenance and construction programs as part of its annual business plan development cycle. Development of the road programs is focussed on: Implementing established road asset management strategies; and Achieving established maintenance standards and asset performance targets for the lowest asset life cycle cost. This is achieved through the following processes: Regular road inspections to monitor road defects; Prioritising of defects and planning of rectification works; Preparation of regular road maintenance programs; Preparation of annual road resealing programs; and Review of 5 year road rehabilitation programs. The budgets of each of the above programs are prepared annually taking into account Council s long term financial plan, competing priorities from other Council services, funds available, established road strategies, adopted maintenance standards, and asset performance targets. Page 7 of 26 09/04/13
2 ROAD ASSET DESCRIPTION 2.1 Road Register The Register of Public Roads includes details of the municipality s roads and the road status and responsible road authority. This register includes the Register of Public Roads as required under Section 19 of the Road Management Act 2004. The Register of Public Roads includes all the following types of municipal roads for which Council is the co-ordinating authority: Rural roads o Sealed o Gravelled o Formed and unpaved Urban streets and lanes o Sealed o Gravelled o Formed and unpaved The register does not include rural roads or urban streets or lanes which are not open for access by the general public. A road is considered to be an urban road where the legal speed limit is signed as being less than 100km/hr. The Asset Register is regularly updated to reflect change in asset details and condition following completion of new subdivisions and completion of Council s annual works programs. 2.2 Road and Footpath Hierarchy Council has adopted a road and footpath hierarchy for the municipal road network. The road hierarchy has been developed taking into account the function and use of each road in the network. Because Council does not have the financial resources to provide the same level of service (i.e. design standards, maintenance service levels, inspection frequencies) for each road in the municipality, the road hierarchy is used to set varying levels of service. The higher the road classification, the higher the adopted level of service and vice versa. 2.2.1 Road Classifications The rural road hierarchy is based upon a 3 tier system of Link, Collector and Access roads; Link being the highest category. Because of the small size of townships in Moyne Shire, Page 8 of 26 09/04/13
the urban roads, other than Arterial roads, have all been classified as Access Roads, with sub-categories of CBD Access Roads, Local Access Streets, or Lanes. The table below provides the definitions of Link Roads, Collector Roads and Access Roads in both urban and rural situations. See Appendix 2 for a plan of the Moyne Shire Road Hierarchy. Road Type Function/Description Rural Link Part of major truck route and/or passenger vehicle route through the Shire, which is not an arterial road as defined under the Road Management Act, with traffic volumes generally exceeding 150 vehicles/day. Collector Provides a connection between traffic generators and destinations, or provides a connection between arterial roads, link roads and destinations, with traffic volumes generally exceeding 70 vehicles/day. Access Sealed Gravel Level 1 Gravel Level 2 Formed Unpaved Unformed/Unpaved Fire Access Track Access to abutting properties is prime purpose. A Rural Access road with a sealed surface. A gravel surface Rural Access road which is a bus route and/or a milk tanker route and/or carries a high percentage of trucks. A gravel surface Rural Access road which carries minor local traffic. An unsealed Rural Access Road which is formed but unpaved. An unformed track that s prime function is for access for fire fighting vehicles or as an escape route during fires. Urban Access CBD Road Streets supporting commercial centres of Mortlake, Port Fairy, Koroit and Macarthur. Page 9 of 26 09/04/13
Road Type Function/Description Urban (continued) Access Local Street Urban streets, (other than the commercial centre roads in Mortlake, Port Fairy, Koroit and Macarthur,) which provide primary access to properties. Street - sealed Street - gravel Street - formed and unpaved Street - unformed/ unpaved fire access track Access Lane Lane provides secondary access, and/or rear access to properties. Lane - sealed Lane - unsealed Ancillary Areas Car park, picnic area, rest area on Arterial, Link, Collector or Access road reserve for which Council is Responsible Authority All Link Roads and Collector Roads in the Shire are currently sealed, but not all sections of these roads meet target design standards for seal width. When reconstruction is planned, Council aims to upgrade these roads to target design standards, having regard to available resources. Some Access Roads are sealed, some have a gravel surface, some are formed only.. 2.2.2 Footpath Classifications Footpath Type CBD Footpath Other Footpaths Function/Description CBD, near schools, elderly persons and high use areas of the major towns of Port Fairy, Mortlake, Macarthur and Koroit. Constructed footpaths and shared pathways on roads in all other locations including smaller townships and residential areas. Page 10 of 26 09/04/13
2.3 Road Management Responsibilities 2.3.1 Moyne Shire is the co-ordinating road authority responsible for managing the municipal road network in the Shire. There are also a number of other road authorities responsible for parts of the road network in Moyne Shire. 2.3.2 VicRoads VicRoads is the co-ordinating road authority for the Arterial road network in the Shire which includes all roads previously classified as Highways and Main Roads. These roads include: 4 No. Highways totalling 240 km. Great Ocean Road Hamilton Highway Hopkins Highway Princes Highway 16 No. Arterial Roads totalling 363 km. Ayresford Road Cobden Warrnambool Road Hamilton Port Fairy Road Koroit Port Fairy Road Koroit Woolsthorpe Road Macarthur Penshurst Road Mailors Flat Koroit Road Mortlake Ararat Road Myamyn Macarthur Road Penshurst Port Fairy Road Penshurst Warrnambool Road Spencer Road Terang Mortlake Road Timboon Nullawarre Road Warrnambool Caramut Road Woolsthorpe Heywood Road Section 37 of the Road Management Act sets out those parts of Arterial Roads for which Council is the responsible Road Authority. (eg service roads & roadsides in urban areas). There is an agreement in place in accordance with Section 15 of the Road Management Act, between VicRoads & which transfers some responsibilities or road management on some sections of Arterial Roads from VicRoads to Council. 2.3.3 Abutting Municipalities Council shares responsibility for managing roads on the boundaries of our municipality with the following abutting municipalities: Page 11 of 26 09/04/13
Glenelg Shire; Warrnambool City; Southern Grampians Shire; Corangamite Shire; and Rural City of Ararat. Agreements are in place to clarify maintenance responsibility for these roads. The Moyne Shire Council Road Register identifies which Councils have maintenance responsibilities for which sections of the boundary roads, including the structures on these roads. 2.3.4 Department of Sustainability and Environment (D.S.E) A number of roads exist on Crown Land, other than road reserves, for which D.S.E have management responsibility. These roads are not included in the Register of Public Roads. However a Council database is available identifying these roads. 2.3.5 VicTrack and Australian Rail Track Corporation VicTrack is responsible for maintaining all but one railway level crossing throughout the Moyne Shire, in the immediate vicinity of the railway line. The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) is responsible for maintaining one railway level crossing. Details relating to each crossing are detailed in the relevant Rail Safety Infrastructure Agreements. Council is responsible for the erection and maintenance of advance warning signs and all pavement markings associated with crossings on roads under its control. 2.3.6 Un-made Private Streets and Township Lanes Private Streets are streets that came into existence as a result of subdivision of private land. Once a private street is constructed to the standards required by Council, Council will maintain the street to the standards detailed in this plan. Council will only carry out minor maintenance of un-constructed private streets and township lanes to maintain existing conditions to an acceptable standard. Should major maintenance, or an improvement to service levels be required on these streets or lanes, the total cost of works will be apportioned to benefiting land owners. A Council database identifies these roads and lanes. 2.3.7 Utility Assets Utility assets on the road reserve are provided and maintained by the respective utility responsible authority. Council is the co-ordinating authority under the Road Management Act and is required to co-ordinate the use of the road reserve including the installation of various road and utility infrastructures so as to: Ensure the safety of road users and the community; Minimise disruption and inconvenience to road users; Protect the environment; and Protect the physical integrity of the road and infrastructure in the road reserve. Page 12 of 26 09/04/13
3 ROAD ASSET STANDARDS 3.1 Community Consultation and Moyne Residents Expectations Feedback is regularly received from the community via a number of mechanisms: Annual Department of Victorian Communities community satisfaction surveys; Council s service request system; Community consultation through the Road Focus Group Various public meetings in locations across the Shire; Councillors; Regular meetings with workers at each of three Council depots; and Regular meetings of Council s road Managers and Supervisors. 3.2 Adoption of Standards for Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation This section of the Road Management Plan and Appendix 1 provide details of the standards adopted by Council for maintaining its assets on the municipal road network. 3.2.1 Maintenance Standards for Structures A procedure has been documented to determine maintenance requirements for bridges. Minor maintenance of bridges, culverts and bus shelters is programmed by the Manager Construction and Maintenance and carried out by Council s bridge maintenance gang. A landowner who constructs a cattle underpass must first sign an agreement with Council which includes a requirement for the landowner to maintain the structure. 3.2.2 Design Standards for Structures Standards for new bridges/major culverts, rehabilitation of existing structures and installation of cattle underpasses, guard rail and bus shelters are all in accordance with the relevant AustRoads and VicRoads design guidelines and/or Australian Standards. Bridge and major culvert designs are carried out by VicRoads bridge engineers or suitably qualified and experienced consultants and current funding levels allow for 2 or 3 of Council s network of the 127 bridge structures to be refurbished per annum. 3.2.3 Maintenance Standards for Footpaths and Bicycle/Shared Paths Sealed and concrete footpaths and bicycle paths on road reserves exist in the towns of Port Fairy, Mortlake, Koroit, Hawkesdale, Macarthur, Caramut, Panmure, Peterborough, Purnim, Yambuk and Woolsthorpe. Inspections of these paths are undertaken annually to record defects in the defects register. Repairs are prioritised having regard to the severity of defect and path hierarchy and are programmed by the Manager Construction and Maintenance to the limit of available funds. A procedure has been documented to assist in identifying footpath defects and prioritising repairs. Page 13 of 26 09/04/13
3.2.4 Design Standards for Footpaths and Bicycle/Shared Paths In commercial areas, where footpaths are to be constructed from building line to back of kerb, the generally adopted standard is a sealed surface supported by a crushed rock pavement. For all other areas, the general standard is a 1.5m or 2m wide concrete path 75mm thick with reinforcement, supported by a granular pavement. Bicycle/shared paths are constructed in accordance with Australian Standards and Council s Bicycle Strategy when external funding becomes available. The Port Fairy to Warrnambool Rail Trail does not form part of the Road Management Plan. A memorandum of understanding has been reached between Warrnambool City Council, Moyne Shire and the Rail Trail Committee of Management regarding this infrastructure, and periodic maintenance activities are still undertaken. Page 14 of 26 09/04/13
4 MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO INSPECT MAINTAIN AND REPAIR 4.1 Road Management System Council s Manager Construction and Maintenance is accountable to meet the adopted maintenance standards (inspection, works programming and implementation of works) subject to budget allocations, and to implement the adopted road rehabilitation and sealing programs. The Manager Engineering & Design is accountable to ensure all road design and structure designs meet Council s adopted standards, and to prepare and implement contracts for works, where required. Both Managers and their respective work teams operate under quality systems which require the work teams to prepare quality plans and procedures to demonstrate that the management systems employed, and processes undertaken, meet Council s standards and approved works programs. 4.2 Road Asset Inspections Survey and inspection processes are required for competent management of the road network assets. A four-tier inspection regime has been implemented covering safety, incidents, defects and condition. For the purposes of determining response times wet is defined as that period of time when effective maintenance activities cannot be undertaken due to the prevailing weather conditions. 4.2.1 Safety Inspections These inspections identify all defects outside the tolerable level and that are likely to create a danger or serious inconvenience to users of the network or the wider community. Safety issues may be detected as the result of: a) Formal programmed defect inspection; or b) Observation followed by notification to Council by members of the community, or Council employees while undertaking their normal work duties, with a subsequent safety inspection conducted by an appropriate Council officer. 4.2.2 Incident Inspections Following notification of an incident an inspection is carried out to comply with the requirements of the Road Management Act (Division 5 Claims Procedure, Clause 116). This inspection enables an incident condition report to be prepared for use in legal proceedings. Page 15 of 26 09/04/13
4.2.3 Defect Inspections These inspections are undertaken in accordance with a formal inspection schedule to determine if the road asset complies with the levels of service as specified in Appendix 3 of this Road Management Plan. A record of each street/road is completed detailing the name of the inspector, the inspection date, time and street/road name and a description of any defects found that are at the specified intervention levels defined in the Road Asset Management Plan. In addition, a notation must be recorded of any street/road inspected where no defect was apparent under the specific rigour of the inspection. The results of these inspections are input into Council s Road Maintenance Management software and actions taken to repair defects are tracked via this system. Road Asset Inspections Inspection Type Description Road Hierarchy Classification Defect Sealed road day time - Rural Link 2 months Manager maintenance inspections - Rural Collector 2 months Construction/ - Rural Access 3 months Maintenance sealed - Urban C.B.D. 1 month - Urban Access sealed 2 months Defect - Ancillary Areas Urban 6 months Manager Construction/ Maintenance Defect Gravel road maintenance inspections - Rural and Urban All categories Frequency Manager Resources 12 months Manager Construction/ Maintenance Defect Bridges minor (Level 1) - All road categories 12 months Manager Engineering & Design Defect Defect Guard Rail Maintenance inspection Footpath & Bicycle/Shared Paths - All road categories 3 months Manager Construction/ Maintenance - All road categories 12 months Manager Construction/ Maintenance Road patrol gang/ Maintenance Supervisor Maintenance Supervisor Grader Operators/ Maintenance Supervisor Allocated staff Road Patrol gangs Delegated Officer Council does not carry out programmed inspections of unpaved rural roads, tracks, fire access tracks or unsealed township lanes. Inspections and maintenance of these assets are only carried out on these types of roads as a response to a service request received from a member of the public, or a request from a fire brigade. Page 16 of 26 09/04/13
4.3 Defect Reporting and Prioritisation of Repairs Safety inspections of the sealed road network are carried out in response to customer complaints. Appendix No. 1 Road Maintenance Standards & Defects Response, identifies the intervention level adopted by Council for each identified defect type and the target response time by which the repairs will be carried out following the date of report. The intervention level is the limit of tolerability of defect at which point it is believed the defect may pose a hazard, or create serious inconvenience to the road user. 4.3.1 Sealed Roads Routine maintenance of sealed roads is carried out by patrol gangs who each have designated areas of the Shire to patrol and carry out maintenance. Extra patrol gangs are deployed if poor weather or other conditions result in the core patrol gangs getting behind schedule. These gangs document daily work outputs and also inspect their allocated network and document and prioritise outstanding defects, which are then entered into a defects register. The register is used by the Manager Construction and Maintenance to prioritise and program those maintenance works listed on the defects register. 4.3.2 Unsealed Roads The unsealed road network is inspected on a 12 monthly cycle by a Road Maintenance Supervisor, defects prioritised and entered into the defects register. Defects are also documented by grader operators when grading or resheeting unsealed roads, and these defects are also entered into the defects register. The Manager Construction and Maintenance refers to the defects register to prioritise and program works on the unsealed road network having regard to severity of defect and road hierarchy. 4.3.3 Structures The structures on Moyne Shire s road network referred in this section include road bridges, footbridges, major culverts, cattle underpasses, bus shelters and guard rail. Different types of condition inspections are carried out for the various structures in a programmed manner. From these inspections, programs for maintenance and rehabilitation are developed. The table in Section 4.2 details the types of inspections undertaken, inspection frequency, the manager responsible for inspections, and the resources utilised. Page 17 of 26 09/04/13
Minor maintenance of bridges, culverts and guardrail is programmed by the Manager Construction and Maintenance and carried out by Council s bridge maintenance gang. 4.3.4 Footpaths & Bicycle/Shared Paths Sealed and concrete footpaths and bicycle paths on road reserves exist in a number of towns of across the Shire including Port Fairy, Mortlake, Koroit, Hawkesdale, Macarthur, Caramut, Panmure, Peterborough, Purnim, Yambuk and Woolsthorpe. The Manager Construction and Maintenance has the responsibility to arrange inspections of these paths annually, and to record defects in the defects register. Repairs are prioritised by assessing risk, having regard to footpath hierarchy and severity of defect. Works are then programmed by the Manager Construction and Maintenance. A procedure has been documented to assist in identifying footpath defects and prioritising repairs. 4.4 Service Request System The details of requests from members of the public for maintenance work on the road network are logged into a computer database and a service request is generated. The service request is referred to the appropriate officer for appropriate action, and resulting actions are recorded in the system. Council staff regularly monitor the response times and resulting actions from service requests and provides regular reports to Council on compliance.. 4.5 Emergency Response Despite Council s best efforts to have reasonable road asset inspection systems and proactive maintenance programs, incidents occur on the road network which may not be foreseen, and which may provide a safety risk to road users. Examples of such incidents may include: Traffic accident/incident; Tree over road; Road flooding; Fire; Dangerous failure of road pavement; Structural failure of bridge or culvert; and Vandalism. Council has published an after hours telephone number in the local phone directory which is manned 24 hours per day, 7 days per week to enable the police, emergency services, or a member of the general public to report an emergency, or high risk situation. Page 18 of 26 09/04/13
On receipt of such a report, a Council officer assesses the type of emergency and response required. If it is assessed that there is a risk to the public, a crew will be despatched to the site as soon as practicable. If it is impractical for the response crew to repair the defect, or remove the risk at that time, the site will be made safe by erecting signs and/or barricades until such time that the repairs can be rectified. 4.6 Implementation of Road Maintenance Repairs Council employs direct labour staff for its road maintenance and construction activities, under the control of the Manager Construction and Maintenance. 4.7 Road Rehabilitation Priorities Council operates a 5 year rolling program for Municipal Road construction projects. Each year the list of roads identified as requiring construction or rehabilitation is reviewed taking into account: Funds available (from internal as well as external grants or developments); Reports from Pavement Management System inspections; Safety issues identified from inspections or service requests; Sealing histories; Reports from maintenance crews; Service requests Council and community; Sealed Road inspections; and Reports of dust problems. The first priority in managing the Municipal Road network is to resurface a fixed percentage of the sealed road network each year. This includes final seals on primerseals, reseals and other resurfacing techniques, and results in roads being resurfaced at appropriate intervals. To ensure roads scheduled to be resurfaced are in good condition, the first priority for road construction funds is major patching or rehabilitation of these roads. 4.8 Exceptional Circumstances Council will make every endeavour to meet all aspects of its Road Management Plan. However in the event of natural disasters and events but not limited to, fires, floods, as well as human factors, but not limited to lack of Council staff or suitably qualified contractors, because of Section 83 of the Victorian Wrongs Act, 1958, as amended, Council reserves the right to suspend compliance with its Plan. In the event that the Chief Executive Officer of the Council, has to, pursuant to Section 83 of the said Act, consider the limited financial resources of Council and its other conflicting priorities, meaning Council s Plan cannot be met, they will write to Council s Officer in Page 19 of 26 09/04/13
charge of its Plan and inform them that some, or all of the timeframes and responses in Council s Plan are to be suspended. Once the events beyond the control of Council have abated, or if the events have partly abated, Council s Chief Executive Officer will write to Council s Officer responsible for Council s Plan and inform them which parts of Council s Plan are to be reactivated and when. Page 20 of 26 09/04/13
5 REVIEW OF ROAD MANAGEMENT PLAN 5.1 Audits A program of auditing, using both internal and external auditors, is being developed for the purposes of ensuring that all the management systems in place are delivering the levels of service adopted by Council for its road network assets. 5.2 Plan Review A formal review, in accordance with sections 303 and 304 of the Road Management (General) Regulations 2005, will be conducted every four years in line with Council elections. 5.3 Amendment of Road Management Plan Unless required as a result of a significant change in budget allocations for road and footpath maintenance this Road Management Plan will not be amended during the life of the Plan. Any revision of the Plan would be subject to the consultation and approval processes as detailed in Section 54 of the Act. Page 21 of 26 09/04/13
APPENDIX 1 ROAD MAINTENANCE STANDARDS & DEFECTS RESPONSE Council staff carry out systematic safety inspections of the local road network as detailed in Section 4.2 of the Road Management Plan. Defects identified are prioritised for repair having regard to the road hierarchy, severity of defect, and risk to the road user. The following tables provide details of: the intervention level, or the level at which a defect is considered intolerable; and the type of response of the maintenance crews of Council either by: repairing the defect within the specified response time, or providing appropriate warning of defect to road users and programming repairs within the specified time. Table 1. Defect Response Codes Response Code Target Response Time Defect Control Mechanism Warn Respond within two working days of routine inspection or notification Inspect, rectify if practicable, or provide appropriate warning. # 1D Within one working day of routine inspection or notification Inspect, and rectify defect within target response time 1W Within one week of routine inspection or notification Inspect, and rectify defect within target response time 2W Within two weeks of routine inspection or notification Inspect, and rectify defect within target response time 1M Within one month of routine inspection or notification Inspect, and rectify defect within target response time 3M Within three months of routine inspection or notification Inspect, and rectify defect within target response time 6M Within six months of routine inspection or notification Inspect, and rectify defect within target response time 1Y Within one year of routine inspection or notification Inspect, and rectify defect within target response time P Rectification works to be programmed having regard to Inspect, and rectify defect within target response time competing priorities and funding resources N/A Not Applicable # Where, because of the nature of the repair required, level of resources required or workload, it is not possible to rectify within the time shown in the above table, appropriate warning of the hazard is to be provided until the repair can be carried out. "Appropriate warning" could include, for example: * Provision of warning signs; * Traffic control action; * Diverting traffic around the site; * Installation of a temporary speed limit; * Lane closure; * Closure of the road to certain vehicle types; * Road closure. Page 22 of 26 09/04/13
Table 2. Defect Type and Response Description of Defect (Intervention Level) Season* Response Code by Road Hierarchy Rural Urban Link Collector Access Central Business District (CBD) Road Street Other Than CBD Road Lane Obstruction & Substances in Traffic Lane Materials fallen from vehicles, dead animals, wet clay& other slippery substances, hazardous materials on the traffic lane of sealed and unsealed roads. All Warn, 1D Warn, 1D Warn, 1D Warn, 1D Warn, 1D Warn, 1W Accumulation of dirt or granular materials on the traffic lane of sealed roads. All 3M 3M 6M 1M 1M 1Y Ponding of water > 300mmdeep, fallen trees, oil spills, stray livestock. All Warn, 1D Warn, 1D Warn, 1D Warn, 1D Warn, 1D Warn, 1W Pavement or Surface Defects Potholes in traffic lane of sealed road > 300mm in diameter & > 100mm deep. Normal Warn, 2W Warn, 2W Warn, 1M Warn, 1D Warn, 1D 1M Potholes in traffic lane of sealed road > 300mm in diameter & > 100mm deep. Wet Warn, 2W Warn, 1M Warn, 1M Warn, 1D Warn, 1D 1M Multiple potholes in a 10m length of sealed traffic lane > 250mm in diameter and > 100mm deep Normal Warn, 2W Warn, 2W Warn, 1M Warn, 1D Warn, 1D 1M Multiple potholes in a 10m length of sealed traffic lane > 250mm in diameter and > 100 mm deep Wet Warn, 2W Warn, 1M Warn, 1M Warn, 1D, Warn, 1D 1M Potholes in traffic lane of unsealed road > 500mm in diameter & > 125mm deep. Normal N/A N/A Warn, 3M N/A Warn, 2W 3M Potholes in traffic lane of unsealed road > 500mm in diameter & > 125mm deep. Wet N/A N/A Warn, 3M N/A Warn, 1D 3M Slippery or "sticky" surface on a sealed road. All Warn, 1W Warn,1W Warn, 1W Warn, 1D Warn, 1W Warn, 1D Slippery surface on an unsealed road All N/A N/A Warn, 1W N/A Warn, 1M 1M Deformations > 100mm under a 3 metre long straight edge on a sealed road, and deformations > 150mm under a 3 metre straight edge on a gravel road. All Warn, 1M Warn, 3M Warn, 6M Warn, 2W Warn, 1M 3M Page 23 of 26 09/04/13
Table 2. (cont.) Defect Type and Response Description of Defect (Intervention Level) Season* Response Code by Road Hierarchy Rural Urban Link Collector Access Central Business District (CBD) Road Street Other Than CBD Road Lane Edge drops onto unsealed shoulder on a sealed road > 75mm. Normal 2W 2W 1M N/A 2W 1M Edge drops onto unsealed shoulder on a sealed road > 75mm. Wet 1M 1M 1M N/A 1M 3M Drainage Damaged or missing drainage pit lids, surrounds, grates, in pedestrian areas or traffic lanes. All Warn, 1W Warn, 2W Warn, 1M Warn, 1D Warn, 1W 1M Vegetation - Trees Shrubs & Grassed Areas Trees, shrubs or grasses that have grown to restrict design sight distance to intersections, or restrict viewing of safety signage other than Stop or Giveway signs. All 1M 1M 3M 2W 1M 1M Trees, shrubs or grasses that have grown to restrict viewing of Stop or Giveway signage. All 2W 2W 1M 2W 1M 1M Roadside Furniture - Safety Signs**, Guideposts, Safety Barriers & Fences, Seats & Litter Bins Safety signs other than Stop or Giveway signs missing, illegible, or damaged making them substantially ineffective. All 3M 3M 3M 3M 3M 3M Stop or Giveway signs missing, illegible or damaged making them substantially ineffective All 2W 2W 2W 2W 2W 2W Missing, or damaged guide posts at a critical location*** making them substantially ineffective. All 1M 3M 6M 1M 1M 3M Missing or damaged safety barriers or fences making them substantially ineffective. All Warn, 1M Warn, 3M Warn, 3M Warn, 1M Warn, 3M Warn, 3M Damaged seats or litter bins, posing a hazard to pedestrians. All N/A N/A 1M 1W 2W 3M Page 24 of 26 09/04/13
Table 2. (cont.) Defect Type and Response Description of Defect (Intervention Level) Season* Response Code by Road Hierarchy Islands, Footpaths & Bicycle/Shared Paths Rural Link Collector Access Central Business District (CBD) Road Urban Street Other Than CBD Road Lane Defective pedestrian areas with a step greater than 20mm. All N/A N/A Warn,3M Warn,1W Warn,3M Warn,3M Pavement Markings Missing, illegible or confusing pavement markings at a critical location***. All 3M 3M 1Y 3M 3M 1Y Structures - Bridges, Cattle Underpasses & Bus Shelters Damage to structure affecting structural performance All Warn, P Warn, P Warn, P Warn, P Warn, P Warn, P Damage to bus shelter which may cause a hazard to user All Warn, 1M Warn, 1M Warn, 1M Warn, 1M Warn, 1M Warn, 1M * During an ongoing wet period, and the period of about 2 months after, the sealed road pavements are more susceptible to the development of potholes and edgebreaks. A wet season is the period during the year when there is regular rainfall, followed by the 2 month pavement drying period. It is normally during the months of July to December. ** A "safety sign" is a sign that provides the driver with advice on the safe use of the road. *** A "critical location" is a location where the road alignment and/or pavement width and/or geometry are identified by additional markings or furniture to guide the travelling public (cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians). Page 25 of 26 09/04/13
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