Each year, we repair thousands of potholes across the shire’s 1,220-kilometre road network - that’s almost as far as driving from Moss Vale to Gympie.
The challenge we face is that rain falls on much of the shire at the same time, but Council isn't equipped to send a team out to all our 1,220 kilometres of roads all at once. Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to repair potholes as soon as they are reported to Council.
Council maintenance crews work hard every day patching potholes, and we welcome the community’s help to locate issues that have emerged on our road network, especially when a wet weather event has occurred. We receive pothole requests daily, so we must prioritise which ones are fixed first. There are a few considerations that influence how we prioritise repair, such as:
We also run a yearly repair and resurfacing program to keep the roads smooth and ensure they are safe for motorists to use. Investing in roads and transport infrastructure ensures we keep Wingecarribee moving now, and into the future.
As well as improving the quality of local roads, Wingecarribee Shire Council is working to improve the community's understanding of how roads are managed and how repairs happen.
This simple introduction outlines how roads are built.
A road is made up of three layers:
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The surface
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The pavement
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The formation (or subgrade)
The surface
This is the part of the road that you drive on. Road seals usually consist of a mixture of gravel and bitumen which is spread over the area with a special machine to create a paved surface. By taking out bumps and cracks in the road, the road seal helps to restore grip and texture and creates a waterproof surface that’s safe to drive on. Underneath this, there are two layers of foundations.
The pavement
The pavement is what supports the road surface and is what gives the road its strength. The pavement is made up of one or more layers of gravel known as the base and sub-base. The pavement is generally 300mm to 500mm thick. The pavement can be further strengthened by adding a 'binder' into the gravel during construction.
The formation
The lowest layer in a road is natural material known as the subgrade. This is basically the earth beneath the pavement. It generally consists of clay, ironstone and occasionally rock. The strength of the subgrade can also be improved by adding a binder to it.
Road maintenance involves the repair of small failures (potholes) in the surface or underlying pavement so that the rest of the road can reach its nominated life in a safe and trafficable state.
As the road ages, several factors will impact the level of maintenance it requires. These factors include:
Road repairs are usually tackled by ‘patching’.
Patching
There are generally two main types of patching.
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Pothole patching
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Heavy patching.
Pothole Patching
This involves filling holes that have developed in a sealed road with a mixture of bitumen and stone.
There are three options with the pothole patching used by Wingecarribee Shire Council.
Jet-patching
This process involves the use of Council’s jet-patching truck.
The jet-patcher pumps out a mix of bitumen emulsion (a mixture of bitumen and water) and stone that is used to fill the hole. It is usually used on small to medium sized holes and doesn’t require rolling as it relies on the emulsion to 'break' and bind the stone together. This technique does not generally perform well when patching in wet conditions.
Cold-mix patching
This type of pothole patching involves filling holes with a mixture of emulsion, stone and sand. Compacting the material into the hole using a roller is generally used to compress the different sized stone and sand together.
Depending on conditions, compaction is not always possible, and the holes are sometimes filled above the road surface for passing traffic to compress.
This approach is used to patch medium to large potholes, or where the underground pavement has given way in a heavily used wheel path, known as a ‘shove’. Cold-mix patching performs better than jet-patching in wet conditions, but is not ideal in wet weather.
Hot-mix (asphalt) patching
This is generally undertaken on larger areas where a portion of pavement and surface is removed and the asphalt is placed and compacted with a roller.
Asphalt is produced by using bitumen that’s been heated to approximately 180 degrees Celsius, added to a mixture of stone and sand, and delivered to the site hot.
As the mix cools down, it hardens and forms the patch. This type of patching can be used in large to very large potholes (and ‘shoves’) and performs best of all the patching techniques in wet conditions. It is also the most expensive and comes at a greater risk of injury to crews.
Heavy Patching
Heavy patching is used when large sections of the road are badly damaged or deformed.
The remaining surface is removed and the pavement gravel is pulverised by road reclaimer machinery.
Then a binder is added for strength, and the pavement is watered and re-compacted before a surface seal of either asphalt or sprayed seal is applied.
This is a more complicated and expensive type of patching and is usually only used when the road is in a very bad condition
Roads have a protective outer layer (wearing course), for the same reason that houses have a coat of paint – it waterproofs and guards against the elements. Water is the enemy of the road. It can damage the road in multiple ways:
Once that road base or sub-base layer weakens and needs repairs, it becomes much more time-consuming, difficult and costly to fix.
Resurfacing is the process of maintaining the wearing course. Even when some roads look fine, there could be problems with the lower layers that our engineers have identified that are not yet visible to the naked eye. This regular maintenance is an important preventative measure to keep your roads safe and smooth to drive on.
Did you know? We manage more than 1200 kilometres of roads across our shire.
In addition to the approximately 925 km of sealed roads and 293 km of unsealed roads that Council maintains (refer Asset Management Plan – Transport, adoption date 15 Oct 2025), there are hundreds of kilometres of Crown and Public Roads across the Shire that Council does not maintain. These roads, while available for public use, are referred to as Unformed Roads.
These Unformed Roads are different from Council’s “Lower Order Roads”, which form part of Council’s road hierarchy and receive a limited level of maintenance primarily to ensure emergency vehicle access. Unformed Roads, by contrast, are legal road reserves that have not been constructed to a formed standard and are not included in Council’s maintained road network.
Over time, residents have built houses along these unformed roads, using them to access their properties. As these roads have not been properly formed or correctly drained, they deteriorate quickly during wet weather. When landowners contact Council and request maintenance on these roads, they become angry when told that Council does not maintain these roads.
Council maintains records identifying roads that form part of its maintained road network. If a road or access-way is not included in Council’s maintained road network (including Lower Order Roads), the construction, upgrading and ongoing maintenance of the road is the responsibility of the landowners who use the road for access.
Who maintains unformed roads?
The maintenance of the road is the responsibility of the landowners who use the road for access.
Why doesn't Council maintain Unformed Roads?
The reason for this is that Council simply does not have the capacity to construct and maintain an access along every road reserve in the Shire. Indeed, it would be an inequitable use of rate funds to do so even if this were not the case. Further, the Roads Act does not compel a Roads Authority (Council) to construct or maintain a road along these reserves.
Even though all road reserves are owned by Council or the crown, Council only maintains those roads that have been constructed by Council, or constructed by another party to Council's requirements and then formally handed over to Council. People wishing to upgrade their access along an unformed road are required to gain the approval of the Council before undertaking the work. In addition, if the road is a Crown Road, approval is also required from the Department of Lands.
The formation of a road to Council standards, however, does not automatically imply that Council will maintain the road. Council as a rule will only take over maintenance of the road if it serves a genuine public function, for example by providing access to a number of properties along the road.
Why do potholes form on our roads?
Potholes form for a range of reasons, but water penetrating the road surface is the main cause. This is why potholes are more common after periods of heavy rain.
Can potholes be prevented?
Council undertakes ongoing preventative maintenance such as resealing, rejuvenation and pavement rehabilitation. High-risk locations may receive heavier patch repairs to extend pavement life and improve safety.
Why doesn’t Council just reseal every road?
Full road resealing is costly and resource intensive. Council focuses on sustaining and extending the life of roads through targeted maintenance to minimise long-term costs to ratepayers.
How do Council prioritise which potholes to fix?
Potholes are prioritised based on safety risk, traffic volume, road type, severity of damage, and location.
How long does a pothole fix last?
The lifespan of a pothole repair depends on weather conditions, traffic volume, and the condition of the pavement. Some repairs may be temporary until more permanent works can be scheduled.
What is the process for a pothole repair?
Once reported, potholes are assessed and prioritised. Urgent safety issues are addressed as soon as practicable, while routine repairs are scheduled subject to weather and site conditions.
Report a pothole
Make sure you include the following information:
For state roads, please contact Transport for NSW on 131 700 or via their website.
Who is responsible for maintaining roads in the Shire?
Wingecarribee Shire Council maintains local roads and regional roads. State roads are managed and maintained by Transport for NSW.
How does Council identify problem roads?
Council undertakes regular inspections and condition assessments to identify maintenance and rehabilitation needs across the road network.
How does Council choose which roads to repair or resurface?
Roads are selected based on condition, safety risk, traffic volumes, strategic importance, and available funding. Programs are approved in accordance with Council’s internal governance processes.
How will residents be notified about road works?
Where practicable, residents and businesses affected by road works are notified in advance through letters, signage, Council communications, or contractor notifications.
Why are some works undertaken at night or during school holidays?
Work timing is determined based on traffic volumes, safety, and minimising disruption to the community. Night or holiday works may be scheduled where appropriate.
When will line marking and finishing works be completed?
Line marking and finishing works are completed once the new road surface has cured sufficiently. Timing may vary depending on weather and site conditions.
Spotted a road that needs fixing?
Our crews are out and about inspecting roads to keep them safe and well-maintained. However, we can’t be everywhere at once. Our dedicated crews are working hard to inspect and maintain our roads, but we need your help. If you spot a pothole or road issue, please let us know by using the Report Request and Apply online or contacting our friendly Customer Experience team at 4868 0888.
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Road maintenance request
Report potholes or any issues in our road network
REPORT HERE
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