Cessnock City Council will receive reports into issue-riddled road upgrades in the Cessnock CBD and on a vital link to the Hunter Expressway.
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The request for the reports was tabled by independent councillor Ian Olsen at Wednesday's meeting - the first of the new council term.
Cr Olsen asked the general manager to provide reports on the Cessnock CBD project at the intersection of Cooper and Charlton Street, and road works on Frame Drive and Gingers Lane, to shed some light on why sections of these works have already had to be repaired, and the costs and timeframes to fix each project.
READ MORE: Cracked pavers a 'bad legacy': Olsen
Cr Olsen said he was "frustrated" about the CBD works, where 100 pavers had cracked within 18 months of installation.
"The last council built it, and the last council left it as a legacy for this current council," he said.
"There was nothing put into the budget for this current financial year to fix the problem, and it has major issues, major problems and major break-ups.
"We need to know what's wrong with the intersection, and we need to get something into the budget next year so we can fix it.
"If we can achieve that in this term of this council, it shows that we are listening to the people, and people might be a little happier with how this council operates."
Cr Olsen said the works on Frame Drive and Gingers Lane have already been repaired a number of times, and a dip that has formed near the Frame Drive bridge was a cause for concern.
"When we set a budget of $1 million to do a road, we expected $1 million of road work done, at a good standard, and that it doesn't fail," he said.
"It seems that too often we have road failures, too quickly, which means a cost to council and to the rate payers.
"The next project might lose funding to fix the original project."
Councillors unanimously supported both notices of motion, and will receive briefings on both reports.
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Krystal Sellars
Krystal Sellars is the Senior Journalist at the Cessnock Advertiser. Born and raised in Cessnock, she started her journalism career at the Advertiser in 2006 after completing a Bachelor of Communication at the University of Newcastle. Contact her on krystal.sellars@cessnockadvertiser.com.au.
Krystal Sellars is the Senior Journalist at the Cessnock Advertiser. Born and raised in Cessnock, she started her journalism career at the Advertiser in 2006 after completing a Bachelor of Communication at the University of Newcastle. Contact her on krystal.sellars@cessnockadvertiser.com.au.
