Transport Strategy 2019–24

Project Overview

Consultation has now closed. Thank you to everyone who participated! The results of this survey have informed the development of the final Transport Strategy.

Improvements to road infrastructure have been identified as a high priority by the community, including in the Community Satisfaction Survey 2019.

The Transport Strategy will provide a strategic approach to improving the road network, using a star-rating system to support better planning and prioritising of new roads, upgrades, renewals and maintenance. By doing so, the community can have greater confidence that TRC is delivering road improvements efficiently and equitably across the region.

The Transport Strategy is available to view in the document library on this page or on the TRC website (click here).

How does this guide road improvements?

The Strategy outlines this in Parts 12 to 15, if you'd like to see the details.

TRC staff will use the criteria in the Strategy to identify a score for therelative importance of all roads in the region.

TRC staff also regularly inspect roads to assess the condition of the infrastructure.

A weighted scoring system considers both these factors and identifies the most critical roads for improvement.

Based on thefunds available, TRC prepares an annual program of road improvements for adoption by the Council. Additional maintenance work is also undertaken on an as-needs basis.

Our network of Council controlled roads, bridges, footpaths, drains and culverts winds for 1,870km across our region. Our vision for this network is an integrated, fit-for-purpose, sustainable, safe and efficient transportation and movement network for our community, businesses and visitors.

We need to plan for growth to ensure the current and future liveability of our region.

A legacy of land use, settlement patterns and past transport decisions has created a car-dependent community that has resulted in many of the transport infrastructure challenges we are experiencing today. Other challenges include:

  • rate revenue compared to costs 
  • limited public transport
  • vehicle configurations
  • topography and climate
  • traffic volumes
  • drainage
  • large geographical spread
  • fit-for-purpose footpaths and cycle connections
  • reduction in Federal and State funding
  • inconsistent design standards.

A transport strategy will enable us to:

  • work towards equitable service delivery based on the priority of each road
  • plan for and prioritise new roads and road upgrades based on the star rating and desired level of services
  • plan for and prioritise road renewal and maintenance based on a combination of star rating and condition
  • allocate available funds where the need is highest and the greatest benefit is gained.

Star rating

Urban and rural roads will be assigned a star rating considering the following criteria:

  • speed limit 
  • terrain (hilly or flat)
  • traffic count
  • use (domestic, commercial, primary production, heavy vehicle, pedestrian/cyclist, essential services and public transport)
  • availability of alternative access.

Community feedback is sought on how to prioritise the proposed star ratings.

  • Implementation (ongoing)
  • Strategy approved by Council - December 2019
  • Community Consultation
  • Consultation with key stakeholder groups on draft strategy
  • Development of star rating categories
  • Development of Draft Transport Strategy 2019–23
The survey is now closed. Thanks for participating.