![PLEASE EXPLAIN: Local resident Gianni Belmonte has called into question the responsibility of the land owners who let a pothole on Evans Lane [near Hungry Jack's] get out of hand.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/xry9xtRQu9u36zRV2j5976/fb368198-0b0a-41dc-a470-8f7ac5477624.jpg/r0_232_3264_2408_w576_h298_fmax.webp "PLEASE EXPLAIN: Local resident Gianni Belmonte has called into question the responsibility of the land owners who let a pothole on Evans Lane [near Hungry Jack's] get out of hand.")
Potholes are often considered somewhat of a nuisance for Bathurst motorists, but one particular pothole has a local resident up in arms about who should be taking responsibility.
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Although it has since been filled in, a pothole on Evans Lane next to Hungry Jack's was left unattended for several months, causing it to rapidly expand in size.
At its deepest, the pothole was around 27 centimetres deep and one and a half metres in length.
Local resident Gianni Belmonte had been monitoring the pothole for some time, and has called into question why it was left unfixed for so long.
"The pothole caused $800 worth of damage to my car, and I'm sure it has caused problems for other drivers," Mr Belmonte said.
"I've never seen one that big, and for a pothole to have a depth of 27 centimetres should surely raise urgent alarm bells for those responsible for the road."
When a pothole appears on a road in the Bathurst region, it is normally an issue for Bathurst Regional Council, but with Evans Lane, the problem is more complicated that it seems.
When Mr Belmonte inquired further, he found the land that Evans Lane sits on isn't owned by council.
"I got in contact with council in regards to my damaged car, who told me that the road is owned by those who lease out the Hungry Jack's building," he said.
"When I got in touch with the owners [represented by McGees Property in Balmain], not only did they say their insurance won't cover my damage, but they also mentioned that no one should be using the road."
The pothole caused $800 worth of damage to my car, and I'm sure it has caused problems for other drivers.
- Gianni Belmonte
Evans Lane is a major thoroughfare for the Bathurst Chase shopping centre, serving as a key access point to the complex's car park.
According to McGees Property Balmain director John Grujovski, Evans Lane is not a public roadway and cannot see why his client [Hungry Jack's owner] should be held accountable for damages.
"The majority of people who use Evans Lane are not customers of Hungry Jack's, so it's unreasonable for my client to accept responsibility for damage," Mr Grujovski said.
"It's happened before, it will happen again and if you hit a pothole, it's your responsibility."
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Sam Bolt
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
