Full steam ahead for infrastructure upgrades

Published on 01 December 2025

Maintaining and upgrading infrastructure can be challenging for a rural municipality such as Loddon Shire, but a series of reports show the large amount of work going on.

Data from Council’s latest Annual Infrastructure Program Quarterly Update, covering July to September 2025, shows a great start to the financial year.

Of the 66 projects listed under the program, four have been completed and 46 are underway.

There have also been some changes – for example due to outstanding issues on the Dunolly-Inglewood Road reconstruction this project will be reallocated to the next financial year but the funds will be used to further extend the Newbridge Road reconstruction 900m towards the town itself.

Two new Parks and Gardens projects have been added – townscape landscaping in Bridgewater and Tarnagulla and a landscaping and irrigation project at the Boort Memorial Hall.

There are also plans for a new domestic animal pound to replace the current one to ensure Council meets regulatory requirements.

Meanwhile data from the Road Management Plan Compliance Report for the July-September quarter shows the number of road inspections and defect fixes are very close to meeting targets.

Those targets are 100 per cent, and 264 of the 266 planned inspections were carried out during the timeframe, the other two completed shortly after.

A total of 97.8 per cent of the 1540 defects identified were fixed, the delays to the other 33 due to delays with emulsion supply required for sealed road defects.

Another 237 of the 241 grading works, or 98.3 per cent, planned for the period were carried though there is no set level of compliance for these under the Road Management Plan.

Loddon Shire Mayor Dan Straub said the reports showed Council was taking its infrastructure responsibilities seriously.

“We have spent more than $2.1 million this financial year so far on the Road Maintenance Program and you can see the benefits to the community.

“We are also making progress on the Annual Infrastructure Program which aside from improving our roads also make our communities more liveable.

“That is within an $8.6 million budget, which compares to the $11 million we raise in rates.

“Coupled with good progress on our Flood Restoration Program, which is focusing on returning our affected road infrastructure to pre-flood condition, we are putting in the work to ensuring our infrastructure is fit for purpose and fit for the future.”

Caption: A further section of Newbridge Road will be reconstructed in 2026, following this recent work.