GREATER Hume Council has agreed to borrow more than $500,000 to fix a major Holbrook road damaged during construction of the Hume Freeway bypass.
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It has clinched a deal with NSW Roads and Maritime Services to repair the road after more than two years of talks.
RMS will chip in more than $1 million on the proviso Greater Hume stumps up $536,565.
The council signed on the deal this week, endorsed by general manager Steve Pinnuck.
“My view is to get the $1 million we need to make that commitment one way or the other,” Mr Pinnuck said.
“If that means loan borrowings, then I think we should consider that.
“The road has deteriorated to such a state that if we got a really wet period like we did in 2010 and 2012, the road could deteriorate even more — we would have to spend the money in any case without RMS funding.
“It is not ideal but, on balance, it is a pretty good offer.”
Mr Pinnuck ruled out the deferring of other road works so the council could avoid taking out the loan.
Cr Stuart Heriot said the road was falling to pieces.
“Our general manager has been fighting to get this done for a long time,” he said.
The major damage occurred on a 640-metre section of Young Street, between Albury and Railway streets.
All the council’s contribution will be spent in this section, mostly building kerb and guttering, footpaths and drains. RMS will spend $470,000 in the same section.
The rest of its contribution will be on repairs from Railway Parade to the freeway and the freeway to Tip Road.
The RMS funding insisted the works must be done in the 2014-15 financial year.
The council was upset it wasn’t initially consulted about heavily loaded large trucks using the road on the multimillion-project managed by RMS.