Dimboola residents who live along Riverside stand on the deteriorating road. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
Dimboola residents living along Riverside have committed to paying $12,000 in an attempt to have Hindmarsh Shire Council seal the road.
Residents Phil Colquhoun, Doug Shiells, Don Mackenzie, Leon Elliott, Rex Mackenzie and Dennis Elliott said they would each contribute $2000 to have the white limestone road sealed.
Mr Colquhoun, Dimboola Town Committee president, said the 1.45-kilometre road was ready to seal after having been graded and rolled in November.
He said council could save money by sealing the road now because the preparation work had already been done.
"The road was done up through flood recovery money and because it is in such a good condition we thought this would be a great time to seal the road," he said.
"I started on council straight away and said 'let's get this done while the road is in a good condition' but unfortunately it hasn't been.
"Any road that has been graded, rolled and is ready to seal, why not seal it?"
Mr Colquhoun said the road, which stretched between Horseshoe Bend Road and the Arura Girl Guides campsite, was already deteriorating.
"Time is of the essence if council wants to do it, it has to do it now,'' he said.
"Why let it go to rack and ruin because then they won't be able to reseal it so easily."
Dimboola councillor Tony Schneider said council would consider the residents' proposal at today's council meeting.
He said he did not know how much the road sealing would cost.
"From my perspective I think it is something that council has to think about really carefully," he said.
"It is great to see that the residents are willing to make their own financial commitment to a project like this and council just has to look at what money is available in the current budget.
"At the end of the day, it is a decision for all of the councillors and I will need to wait and hear what advice they have."
Cr Schneider said the residents' commitment did not set a precedent for landowners having to fund road repairs.
"I think they have just thought it would be a cost-effective way to finish the job and, in that way, to save a bit of money in the long run," he said.
"The road will start to deteriorate and I guess it already has.
"Dirt and dust are also a real concern for residents because with the dry weather, gravel roads become dusty."
Citywide Infrastructure production foreman Mick Stacey, who is completing flood recovery repairs across Hindmarsh Shire, said it was an ideal time to seal the road.
"That road, at the moment, is really good but it probably needs a steel drum roll over it, a brush over and a spray seal and then they will have a road for 20 years," he said.
"Because it is a gravel product, if they don't do something soon it is just going to deteriorate.
"I think it would be the ideal time to do it if they wait any longer they won't be able to use the material there and will have to put new material down."