EVERY driver in the region knows the current pothole woes.

As the extreme weather events continue and La Nina continues to batter Australia the state of our roads is causing serious damage to vehicles.

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Drivers slow and dodge the obstacles which are constantly reappearing.

Now there is new hope with the NSW Government successfully trialling new products to plug our pothole infested roads.

Unprecedented heavy rain this year has seen more than 152,000 potholes filled across the state since the start of March, including almost 18,500 on Sydney roads alone – the equivalent of re-sheeting the Sydney Cricket Ground 35 times.

Minister for Metropolitan Roads Natalie Ward said extreme weather created a huge challenge for road maintenance crews who have already fixed four times the number of potholes compared to last year.

“The NSW Government is committed to making sure our roads are safe and reliable, which is why we are exploring new ways to fill our potholes faster and make sure the repairs last longer,” Mrs Ward said.

“One of the biggest challenges facing repair crews using traditional repair methods is the need to wait until the road is dry before being able to fill a pothole.

“The prolonged wet weather also increases the risk of the same pothole re-forming.

“We’ve been using a new ‘cold mix’ product on some of our worst potholes and it has already produced outstanding results – our road crews have not needed to refill a single pothole since they started using this product.”

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway said the NSW Government was collaborating with industry on a trial of a range of ‘cold mix’ materials to see which were more effective during severe weather.

“We’ve asked the experts for solutions and new technology we can foster to patch up potholes faster when it’s cold and wet,” Mr Farraway said.

“Our crews have fixed more than 135,000 potholes on the State’s regional roads in NSW since the first wave of severe weather in February.

“We are responding as fast as possible when the weather conditions allow for road crews to undertake repairs.

“We’re also hiring more than 80 new full time workers to help with the delivery of the $19.4 billion regional roads and transport pipeline during the most significant La Nina event the state has faced.”

With local councils responsible for fixing local roads, Port Stephens Councillor Leah Anderson told News Of The Area, “If there’s a better product out there that is affordable then bring it on because I am just as sick of potholes being filled and refilled as everyone else is!”

If you see a pothole on your local road, please report it to the local council or online at nswroads.work/reportdamage.

By Marian SAMPSON