A St Albans man says he’s more than $250 out of pocket because of Brimbank council’s unwillingness to properly fix a gaping pothole in his street.
Frank says Laurel Street has been damaged by several potholes – varying between roughly five to 15 centimetres in depth – which the council has attempted to fix.
However, the deepest hole remains an issue, and has caused damage to his car.
“It’s [the pothole] in the perfect position on the corner – you just don’t see it,” he said.
“It’s the main offender. It’s 15 centimetres at least; it’s bloody deep.
“If they [the council] did it properly once, you wouldn’t have to see it again. It’s ongoing – it always seems to be a quick fix.”
Frank says former council administrators had done a “reasonable job” for the municipality, but Laurel Street’s surface remained a problem.
“They need to totally relay the entire bitumen, rather than just little patches.
“It’s dangerous, it highlights the incompetence in council – to do the same thing all the time and expect a different outcome, I’m disappointed.”
He says he’s had to shell out $250 for four new shock absorbers, with one at the front of his car completely “gone”.
“Unfortunately, you need to replace them in pairs,” he said. “I might send the bill to council. I really don’t want to have to hire a solicitor.”
However council’s infrastructure and city services director Neil Whiteside said the street could be in for an upgrade.
“Recent works carried out at Laurel Street have included pothole patching in February, with two potholes patched, eight in July and four in August,” he said.
“As well as ongoing maintenance works, council undertakes regular condition assessments of the entire road network.
“Laurel Street is being reviewed as a part of this process,” Mr Whiteside said, adding that the council had completed proactive inspections and answered service requests for potholes 39 times at Laurel Street since 2008.
