Since February, Council has filled over 32,000 potholes that were a result of intense and continued rainfall which created an unprecedented number of potholes.

Only temporary repair works can be undertaken during wet weather, which is why potholes can reappear within only weeks of repair. 

Despite the high level of repairs undertaken to date, as of the end of May approximately 8,108¹ outstanding potholes are identified for repair across the region’s 2,000km road network.  

Council Director Infrastructure Services, Boris Bolgoff said Council has prioritised pothole repairs and put in place measures to address the issue as soon as possible.

“The good news is that Council staff have now completed pothole inspections across the 2,000km road network.  We have also secured more resources to repair the remaining potholes and anticipate clearing the backlog within a month. This will see a return to regular pre-storm service levels (provided weather conditions remain clear) of approximately 2,000 potholes scheduled for repair at any one time, which roughly equates to one pothole per kilometre,” Mr Bolgoff said. 

“As with other LGAs, the scale of the potholes occurring in such a short timeframe outstripped availability of Council’s resources of staff and equipment to service the repairs in a faster manner.

“Additional staff from other areas of Council, plus contractors, have been engaged to help undertake the work during and outside of business hours. 

“Repairs are prioritised by level of safety risk (with roads that carry a higher volume of traffic prioritised over less trafficked local roads such as cul-de-sacs), and they are also undertaken across the region in a systematic area-by-area approach - which provides greater efficiencies so more potholes can be filled faster.

“We acknowledge the community’s frustration with the level of potholes and want to assure resident’s that all efforts are being made to ensure the road network and associated infrastructure is fit-for-purpose and keeps our community safe. 

“Whilst we understand that some members of the community are wanting to assist drivers identify potholes by spray painting designs and messages on the road surfaces, we strongly discourage this action as it places the people on the roadway and other road users in a dangerous position and risk of harm. The best way to help Council manage potholes, is to report potholes to Council.”

Potholes can be reported to Council’s 24/7 Online Customer Service Centre which is linked on Council’s website centralcoast.nsw.gov.au

Council Administrator, Rik Hart said a large percentage of Council’s operating budget is invested in roads. 

“Now that we have longer-term stability of our rates revenue, Council can carefully reinvest in services where we are not currently meeting community expectations of service levels, for example into our vast road network,” Mr Hart said.

“Council strategically plans road and drainage works as part of the annual capital works program, which also draws on secured grant funding and Developer Contributions to help towards the significant cost to maintain and improve such a vast road network.

“In addition, Council is currently exploring further opportunities to obtain funding associated with natural disasters to help with road restoration works to repair damage caused by weather events.  This external funding will help Council return the region’s roads and related infrastructure back to a satisfactory condition.”

For more information on Pothole repairs, search 'pothole repairs' at centralcoast.nsw.gov.au, and read Council's pothole fact sheet.

Keep up to date on Council’s progress in repairing our roads via our website centralcoast.nsw.gov.au and Council’s Facebook page.

Pothole management and prevention explained

• Council has short, medium, and long-term strategies to manage and prevent potholes. 
• Pothole patching is a temporary solution to reduce safety hazards, and used to isolated defects in the road network.  It is also the only solution that can be underway during wet weather. During dry weather more permanent pothole repairs and other solutions can be applied. Heavy patch repairs provide a medium-term solution where a section of the road is treated. For the longer term, renewal works are undertaken which include rehabilitation and resurfacing of the pavement. Upgrade works, which include street drainage, kerb and gutter and new road pavement can also be undertaken however it is costly and creates new infrastructure adding to future maintenance. 
• Council’s Road Maintenance staff carry out proactive inspections of road pavement in a cyclic schedule every three months, resources permitting. The timing for undertaking works to address these identified defects is assessed on a risk basis.
• Council is also investigating innovative approaches to the repair of the road network including pothole patching. These measures are still being investigated to determine their suitability. 
• Report potholes online to Council’s 24/7 Online Customer Service Centre which is linked on Council’s website www.centralcoast.nsw.gov.au. Lodging this way provides you with a reference so you can track your request's progress or receive updates regarding your request

Stats & Facts

• Council has already filled over 32,000 potholes (from February to May)

• Council manages and maintains over 2,000 kilometres of roads across the Central Coast – that’s about as far as driving from the Central Coast to Cairns!

•  In addition to the extensive nature of the Central Coast’s 2,000km road network, the Coast’s topography presents a significant challenge for drainage which can exacerbate potholes. Waterways and estuaries also impact longevity of road infrastructure in low lying suburbs when high flood levels flow onto roads which can increase road infrastructure damage.