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VicRoads is effectively managing the structural safety of
bridges and culverts and prioritises annual funding to the areas of
greatest short-term need. However, VicRoads has not formed detailed
long-term plans nor adequately measured, forecast and reported on
the levels of service experienced by road users. Doing these things
is a prerequisite for VicRoads to adequately inform longer-term
resourcing decisions.
While councils’ bridges and major culverts have been safe to
use, their approach to managing these assets limits their ability
to fully assure their continued safe operation. Examples of
incomplete, out of date and unreliable information on bridge
condition and weaknesses in councils’ asset management processes
should be addressed so that councils can demonstrate effective
asset management.
Both VicRoads and local councils recognise that competition for
scarce resources means there is a risk that funding falls short of
the levels required to meet road users’ expectations. Agencies need
to understand and manage these expectations by completing robust
long-term plans, establishing performance measures and improving
their public performance reporting.
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