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Think potholes on our roads are getting worse? You're right – and here's why (theconversation.com)

submitted 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) by MHLoppy2@aussie.zone to c/australia@aussie.zone

6 comments fedilink hide all child comments

[Roads] are getting worse because we’re not spending enough to maintain them.

Three-quarters of our roads are managed by local councils.

Every year, those councils spend A$1 billion less on maintenance than is needed to keep those roads in their current condition – let alone improve them.

New Grattan Institute research finds the typical regional area has a funding shortfall of more 40%. In remote areas, it’s more than 75%.

One reason for this underspend is that untied federal government grants to local councils haven’t kept pace with soaring costs.

[...]

Tight budgets make it tempting to delay maintenance.

But delaying will only end up costing more in the long run, leaving taxpayers paying more to fix more badly damaged roads.

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[–] DavidDoesLemmy@aussie.zone 12 points 11 months ago

Also cars and trucks are getting heavier. Damage to the road scales exponentially with the weight of the vehicle. https://streets.mn/2016/07/07/chart-of-the-day-vehicle-weight-vs-road-damage-levels/