July-August 2016 Oceania Edition

Business View Australia - July - August 2016 45 the construction and maintenance of the roads and streets network. The council’s $15.8 million budget, which is 65 percent funded by rate revenue and 25 percent by government grants, largely goes into making sure that the region’s roads adhere to some very specific and strict standards. For instance, upgrading Emu Flat Road was a five-year plan with an estimated cost of $4,512,073. As a major route which services a lot of farmers on the northern part of the district, the road also acts as a detour whenever there’s a major issue on the main Adelaide to Melbourne highway. As such, the council felt that it was vital to provide proper infrastructure for the drivers, an undertaking which was aided by Special Local Road grant funding. Theimpactwas immediatelypositive. The upgraded and wider road instantly made conditions safer for the drivers of themix of vehicles that regularly use the road. They include large b-double trucks, school buses, farm machinery and passenger vehicles. Another example of the council’s work on the road network are the intersection upgrades at Wolseley, Mundulla, and Bordertown. After several safety and access issues were identified at each intersection, the council worked hard to virtually eliminate them in order to make them safe and convenient for the residents. Yet another example