Independent Pittwater MP Jacqui Scruby has called on the Premier to urgently extend surge funding for pothole repairs to metropolitan Sydney, not just regional NSW.
Ms Scruby said that the Pittwater community is totally reliant on roads. When buses are delayed or cars are damaged, there are no alternatives. Road damage is widespread across the electorate, with tyres blown, cars damaged, and potholes left for weeks. Ms Scruby said she recently spent hours photographing and mapping potholes on state roads.
August’s record rainfall highlighted the fragility of the road network. Frequent, heavy downpours are the new normal and patchwork repairs are no longer fit for purpose.
Ms Scruby has called for immediate funding to tackle Sydney’s pothole crisis, contractor accountability with stricter KPIs and faster repairs, a statewide rollout of Asset AI® technology – an artificial intelligence system that uses dash-mounted cameras to automatically detect road damage currently only piloted in a handful of councils and TfNSW vehicles.
“In Pittwater we are totally reliant on roads,” said Ms Scruby. “We have no trains, no metro, no light rail. When buses are delayed, or cars are damaged there is no alternative.”
“Just last Friday I stopped to help three people with shredded tyres on a major state road. A week later the same potholes remained. That is unacceptable.”
