THE Hunter is understandably sick of rain. With relentless falls through the end of autumn, most will be optimistic that winter could be less intense in terms of rain.
Among those holding that hope most fervently will be the bureaucrats responsible for councils' works budgets, which have been dealt yet another blow. With ballooning numbers of potholes, several Hunter councils say other projects will slip down the list of priorities in favour of roads.
Given the circumstances, that is as it should be. The old refrain of rates, roads and rubbish dictates that other services fall behind those three pillars, especially when the state of roads is deteriorating so quickly. But what of an area like Dungog, where the annual budget is already exhausted and unlikely to disappear for the remaining six months of 2022?
The reality is that much more than garbage collection and road paving is expected of a modern local government tier. Libraries and more are taken for granted as services they will offer, not to mention mowing and maintenance of parks and footpaths.
On the garbage front, as well as roads, cost shifting from the state government has long been a bugbear of local leaders. Tip fees are dominated by taxes from Macquarie Street while councils bear the brunt of customers' frustration, while roads offloaded from state responsibility have long given Dungog difficulties without the unusual rain of recent months.
With Lismore and other parts of the state devastated, in some ways the Hunter's potholes pale in comparison. Yet cost blowouts do not simply disappear from the bottom line; they at the very least force councils to reduce their ambitions, and at worst require projects to be shelved until finances allow.
The widespread nature of the rain means this is far from an isolated problem in this region. Given predictions around climate change making severe weather a more frequent fact of life, all levels of government must take note of these and other costs that have not traditionally been taken into the fiscal accounting.
Rough roads are perhaps tolerable for a time, but ratepayers will understandably grow tired of bumpy rides and the potential car damage potholes can bring if it is an indefinite problem. In the meantime drivers can do little more than be patient with council staff and commutes, take care behind the wheel and pray for persistent clear skies.
