Loddon Shire Mayoral Column 14 February 2023
Published on 14 February 2023
Get your marine licence this weekend at Boort
An upcoming marine licence (Boat and Jet Ski Course) course is happening this weekend, offering community members the opportunity to learn about boating practices, rules and regulations and how to operate a boat safely and responsibly.
Whether you’re an experienced boater or just starting out, now is the perfect time to brush up on your boating safety skills and get your marine licence.
Date: Sunday 19th February 2023
- Time: 1pm-5pm
- Cost: $120 (Payment required before 15/02/23)
- Location: Boort Resource & Information Centre (BRIC)
- Ages 12 to15 – Boat only
- Ages 16+ - Full licence
Enjoy the beautiful waterways that our Shire has to offer.
For more information and to register, please contact BRIC (03) 5455 2716
Capturing the flood damage
Plenty of work remains in repairing all the damage to our road network.
Council has had a team inspecting roads and capturing the damage in line with the State Government’s Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements. This fund is there to help councils to restore its essential infrastructure such as roads after events such as the October floods.
To date the following repairs have been identified:
- 117 culvert repairs or replacements
- 56 floodway repairs
- 1 bridge replacement
- 273 km of gravel road re-sheets
- 47 km of unsealed road shoulders to replace
- 14.25 km of sealed road to be rebuilt
Approximately 95 per cent of the network has been assessed and as the data is reviewed over the coming weeks, the damage tally will grow.
Some damage assessments have been postponed so the impacts from harvest traffic on flood-affected roads is captured.
There has also been a need to reassess some roads as the damage has grown over time as traffic has travelled over them.
To put the situation that Council finds itself in perspective – Council’s total road expenditure in the 2022-2023 Budget is $6.7 million. The estimated repair bill for the flood damage to Council’s road assets is approximately $60 million.
Reporting issues with roads
If community members have an issue they would like to report they can contact Council directly.
Council takes its responsibility to provide a safe road network seriously and appreciates the community’s feedback. Council has designated staff who are responsible for taking these enquires and ensuring that they are followed up.
If you encounter an issue or wish to make a complaint about one of Council’s roads or any other Council matter, you can contact the team on (03) 5494 1200.
Issues can also be lodged via Council’s website at www.loddon.vic.gov.au and clicking on “Report an issue”.
Council also operates an after-hours service for urgent road issues, this is also accessed through the 5494 1200 phone number.
There are several roads in Loddon Shire that are the responsibility of Regional Roads Victoria (previously VicRoads). These include the highways and major connecting routes.
Issues on these roads can be reported to Regional Roads Victoria on 133 778.
A list of Regional Roads Victoria roads within Loddon Shire can be found on our website at www.loddon.vic.gov.au/Our-Services/Footpaths-roads-and-drains/Roads and opening the appropriate tab.