Council’s civil works crews repair road damage in the wake of recent heavy rainfall across the Wagga Wagga area. Photo: Wagga Council.
Motorists frustrated by the growing number of potholes across Wagga Wagga are being urged to take extra care, with council crews working to repair road damage caused by recent wet weather.
Potholes are a perennial source of complaint for drivers, with the Riverina frequently ranked among the worst areas in the state for damaged rural roads. The problem even saw the emergence of a pothole vigilante in Griffith, who spray-painted potholes in a bid to shame his council to fix them.
Wagga Wagga City Council says it is taking a proactive approach, with two dedicated jet patching crews deployed after more than 40 mm of rain fell over four days at the end of June and the start of July, followed by further falls last weekend.
The council has two jet patching crews working alongside regular patrols to repair potholes across its 1200 km sealed road network, focusing on some of the city’s busiest roads.
Council’s civil operations manager Guy Oosterhoff said the recent change from a long, dry spell to colder, wetter weather had created the perfect conditions for potholes to form.
“We’ve been quite blessed recently with very dry and hot weather over summer and autumn, but as we start getting the colder temperatures and the rain, we are going to see more potholes,” Mr Oosterhoff said.
Council trucks have been out addressing the issue. Photo: Wagga Council.
“The water lying on the road surface can seep into the pavement through small cracks, which results in the soil or gravel base underneath softening.
“As vehicles travel over these soft spots, particularly when it’s a lot of traffic and heavy vehicles involved, it can cause the road surface to collapse, causing potholes to form.
“Our road crews endeavour to close them up as quickly as we can to try and stop the underlying issue from spreading further and to hold the road together until we can do a proper pavement rehabilitation.”
Council has set aside funding for road rehabilitation, crack sealing and bitumen resealing as part of its newly adopted 2026-27 budget, with the Civil Operations team now preparing this year’s works program.
In the meantime, Mr Oosterhoff said residents could help crews prioritise repairs by reporting potholes through the council’s website or customer service team.
“We really appreciate it when the community tell us where the potholes and road damage are and then we can arrange our crews to go to those areas,” Mr Oosterhoff said.
“Although we may not get to them the same day, it makes it easier for us to respond to them efficiently. Until we do, though, we remind motorists to slow down and drive to the conditions.”
