Florda road network on the agenda

The troubled road system is discussed by council and residents at a recent forum

BAD ROADS: Council GM Ashley Lindsay and director Troy Anderson take questions from the residents of the Florda road network. Picture: Tim Jarrett

A COMMUNITY forum on the Florda road network has led to the creation of a residents' committee to liaise with council on matters affecting roads in the area.

There was a palpable sense of frustration at the forum last week which gave residents the opportunity to hear from council representatives and express their own concerns about roads in the area.

Following the responses from floor, director works and civil Troy Anderson invited residents to form a group that could maintain contact with council on matters concerning the road network, something which organiser John Haggar thought was important.

"I see that as great, this is what makes things better," Mr Haggar said.

"We have formed a committee and if we keep in regular contact it will take some of the heat out of the argument and we will have an open dialogue with council."

A lot of the community frustration came from a perception the council was not doing enough to maintain the roads and many had questioned the council's methods of quality control.

Despite the desire for more regular maintenance, Mr Anderson said it was the roads policy that determined the frequency with which the road was maintained.

With this in mind, he made clear that there would only be two grades per year. But Mr Anderson pointed to a trial being undertaken on the Tullymorgan Rd as evidence that council was committed to improving surface quality so grades were not needed as often. The trial started nine months ago and was undertaken to investigate various maintenance methods to improve the life span of the unsealed roads in the Clarence Valley, such as the Florda road network.

Clarence Valley Council general manager Ashley Lindsey explained that there had already been promising signs from the trial.

"There are a number of segments using various types of treatment that have really held up quite well and we have not had to intervene in those sections in the nine months," he said. "The gravel that we traditionally used on that section of road was part of the trial and we have had a go it and deal with that."

Following the meeting, Mr Haggar said he was thankful to Mr Lindsay in particular for coming out and listening to the residents' concerns. "I thought the people were respectful and I thought Ashley Lindsay was frank and honest."

Originally published as Florda road network on the agenda