The frustration Perthville residents have shown towards ongoing roadworks in the village could soon be rectified by Bathurst Regional Council, who have committed to continue the work themselves.
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The ongoing project, situated along Bathurst and Perth streets, commenced last year and has been designed to improve road surfaces and stormwater drainage.
However, the work has been progressing slowly, causing a great deal of frustration among residents.
In response, council made the decision last Friday to remove principal contractor Central West Civil from the project.
“On numerous occasions, council has raised displeasure over the rate of progress and the conduct of the contractor," Bathurst mayor Graeme Hanger said.
“Last Friday, we exercised our rights under the contract that was in place to bring the matter to a speedy conclusion.”
Council crews are expected to move onto the site later this week to continue the project.
The news has been welcomed by Perthville Neighbourhood Group public officer Matthew Irvine, who said the project has been experiencing lengthy periods of inactivity.
“The village has been waiting for this work to be completed for a long time,” Mr Irvine said.
“We’ve seen plenty of conflict between telecommunications, drainage and road contractors that has slowed the progress of the works.”
While acknowledging that the slow-moving project has been a key point of frustration among residents, Mr Irvine said the council has handled the criticism admirably.
“There’s a big lesson here for council in making sure that they properly assess the capacity of their contractors in completing these works,” he said.
“The cynicism among residents is certainly understandable but to council’s credit, they’ve taken ownership of the issue and have acted accordingly.”
Perthville has faced their fair share of disruptions over the years regarding delayed projects, but Mr Irvine is eager to see the Perthville community and council work towards a desirable solution.
There’s a big lesson here for council in making sure that they properly assess the capacity of their contractors in completing these works.
- Matthew Irvine