FEW lists would be as eagerly awaited as the list on the opposite page of streets in Orange earmarked for resurfacing or major repairs.
Thursday night’s decision by council to add $5 million to the roads budget will be greeted with delight and relief by many residents.
Most have been waiting too long for the additional money to be allocated which makes this expanded roads program possible.
There will be two questions in most ratepayers’ minds; will my rates rise as a result and will my street be on the list?
The answer to the first should be no. The additional funds will come from reserves and should have no impact on rates.
To find the answer to the second see for yourself. It is a long list, an indicator of the extent of the work which needs to be done.
If your street is not on the list and you think it should be don’t despair, more roads are expected to be added in coming weeks.
If your street does not make it onto the list by Christmas and you think it should, phone a councillor and invite him to take a look. In the current climate and with far more money around, he should be eager to raise it with the staff who will have the final say.
Bringing our suburban roads up to scratch will be a long process, with plenty of inconvenience for motorists, but work like the Moulder Street resurfacing shows it is well worth it in the end.