The Road Management Plan documents council's approach to maintenance of roads, footpaths and related roadside areas to facilitate their safe and serviceable use for vehicles and pedestrians.

Council is required to review the plan each four years, in the year following a council election, by October 31 of that year.

Councillor Les Power said it was good to have this document.

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"We now have a piece of paper to show residents when things will be done and how," he said.

Councillor Claudia Haenel brought up concerns regarding an alternate truck route.

"Are we really listening to the community, when the document doesn't even mention a bypass?" she said.

Horsham Rural Council's chief executive officer Sunil Bhalla then gave an update on the alternative truck route.

"It will be a state and federal responsibility," he said.

"We have a key role in the planning."

Mr Bhalla said the bypass was not included because it focused on the local roads which are controlled by Horsham council rather than development.

Feedback from external consultation was relatively limited.

Several respondents identified specific roads that they consider should receive a different level of maintenance. This aspect is being addressed through the Rural Road Network Plan, which will consider changes to hierarchy levels of all roads in council's rural areas.

Councillor Ian Ross voiced his concerns about maintenance timeline.

"We haven't aimed for excellence here," he said.

"I will be supporting it because it's essential we have it for insurance."

The review also considered the recommendations of the Victorian Auditor-General's Office (VAGO) in its March 2021 report "Maintaining Local Roads".

The relevant recommendations from that report are to collect and retain data on compliance with timeliness standards in road management plans and to establish performance measures for road management plans and use them to annually review performance and the practicality of standards set out in the plans.

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