The low-level classification of a road servicing traffic between Bordertown, Lucindale and Kingston will be compared with similar roads by Naracoorte Lucindale Council’s administration.

This follows Cr Peter Ireland’s call for the classification of several roads, including Dickensons Rd, to be reviewed and upgraded in the council’s Road and Stormwater Infrastructure Management Plan.

The plan includes a road hierarchy, and the matter was raised at the council’s September 10 Strategic Asset and Planning (SAP) meeting.

Stretching 4km, Dickensons Rd links the Riddoch Hwy at one end to Grubbed Rd.

Morambro La, Ricketts La, Ortons Rd and McLeans Rd all run parallel to it.

Dickensons Rd is currently classified Access Rural, meaning it caters for 50-60km/h speeds, services fewer than 20 properties, carries fewer than 20 vehicles per day and needs to be graded at least once a year.

Cr Ireland asked for Dickensons Rd to be upgraded to a Local Rural or a Collector Rural classification as it was a thoroughfare for heavy vehicle transport to JBS Bordertown, interstate abattoirs, wool, grain, grapes and other general freight.

“Traffic at (the) Lucindale Field Days’ time is hundreds of cars a day and also freight to and from (Lucindale),” Cr Ireland said in his request.

Additionally, it was used by tourists, catering as a thoroughfare for Cockatoo Lake users from the north.

Director infrastructure and services Daniel Willsmore was not at the meeting, but provided a written report. He said the road hierarchy classifications were “driven by the service function of the road, the road type and levels of service are then categorised once the service function is assessed.

“Traffic count data is used to inform the decision-making process; however increased or decreased traffic counts may not mean the function of the road has changed.

“If traffic count data is wished to be used to classify each road, it would result in most rural living roads to be classified as Link or Collector roads.

“He referred to traffic counts in May 2024 that showed an increase to 54 vehicles from 31 vehicles in 2021, but said heavy vehicle usage decreased from five per day in 2021 to 3.5 per day in 2024. 

The debate

Debating the matter, Cr Peter Ireland highlighted 3.5 heavy vehicles a day were more than 20 B-Doubles a week – a lot more than just local traffic.

Cr Grundy explained it was part of the main road servicing traffic between Bordertown and Lucindale – a through road rather than servicing immediate property owners.

Cr Tom Dennis queried which contemporary roads council had that were similar in daily usage “that we can compare?”.

“Because I feel like, if it’s unique as it’s been described, and it sits in that part of the hierarchy, is there a contemporary that we can compare it to say `right well that road is the same’?”

CEO Trevor Smart said he could not provide an answer.

Mayor Patrick Ross explained why it was “quite a unique road” with Riddoch Hwy access and part of a main thoroughfare between Bordertown, Lucindale, and Kingston.

Cr Dennis: “My only reservation with jumping outside our hierarchy is that it opens us up to financial liabilities in other areas.

“We have a hierarchy for a reason. We pick out the individual roads that we’re passionate about. We start ignoring the numbers, and we start looking at other things that need to happen. We start changing the classification of a road outside its designated place within the hierarchy. What liability does that procure for us as a council, if we start jumping if a road falls out of the hierarchy in a different area. That’s my concern.”

Cr Ireland: “I don’t know about passionate. I don’t have a passion for this road, personally.

“But when you’ve got B doubles that can’t pass each other over a 6m width of road, and one of the local landowners has had to pull one or two out (bogged on the roadside) I think that speaks for itself to be honest.”

Cr Dennis: “Again, I consign lots and lots of B doubles a week. And there is lots of roads that we push B doubles around in our area and they have problems.

“And all roads aren’t made equal, and lots of roads have B-doubles going down them.

“So if we start saying we’re going to jump outside the hierarchy because a B double drives down it, then again, I’m just concerned. I’d like to hear that it’s contemporaries doesn’t open us up to millions of dollars of upgrades.”

Cr Grundy reminded members what was written in Mr Willmore’s report – that increased or decreased traffic counts may not mean the function of the road had changed.

Cr Abigail Goodman said the count data formed one part and the function of the road formed another part of the classification.

“It sounds to me like the function of this road doesn’t fit with the current classification and that’s a reason to consider moving it up in the hierarchy,” she said.

Mayor Ross suggested the council’s administration gather further information.

Cr Trevor Rayner said his company’s trucks went to Tatiara for servicing and that there was a truck on that road every day.

Following a motion by Cr Dennis, seconded by Cr Grundy, councillors voted unanimously “that Dickensons Rd be taken on notice to identify any comparable and similar level roads currently on the hierarchy”.

The full council rubber stamped the motion unanimously at its September 24 meeting with only Cr Dennis absent. 

This article appeared in the Naracoorte Community News.