Brisbane’s LNP Council is off-track to beat last financial year’s pothole fill record, according to new data obtained by Council’s Labor Opposition.
Figures obtained through answers to Questions on Notice show that Council is falling short by over 17,000 potholes.
The fresh data finds that Council is also falling behind on “dangerous” potholes that require repair within 24 hours.
When asked by ABC Radio host Loretta Ryan on Tuesday if the number of pothole reports indicated poor quality roads, Adrian Schrinner dismissed it, claiming it was due to Brisbane’s sub-tropical climate.
Council’s Labor Opposition disagrees, claiming that the new figures released on Tuesday are “not a reason to celebrate”.
In a statement released Wednesday morning, Labor claimed that Adrian Schrinner was withholding action on road maintenance until a major rain event presented a media opportunity.
“Brisbane residents are entitled to ask a simple question: why has it taken a frantic media campaign for Council to lift its game?” Opposition Leader Jared Cassidy said.
“The Lord Mayor can call it “The Big Fill”, but Brisbane residents know exactly what it is, a last-minute pothole blitz from an LNP Council that has spent 20 years failing to properly maintain our roads.”
A quarterly financial report released last fortnight showed that Council had cut the material and services budget by $121 million.
Of note was the record intake from parking fines driven by new AI cameras installed around the city. Council claimed ‘every dollar’ of this revenue is reinvested back into Council’s road network.
