Service Spotlight: Life on the roads, with Jimmy Drayton

If you’ve driven around the Surf Coast Shire over the past two decades, chances are Jimmy Drayton has helped make your journey a little smoother.

Based at the Winchelsea depot, Jimmy operates Council’s insulated hot asphalt transport truck, known as a Flocon.

He carries out hundreds of pothole repairs every year, as well as larger patches on damaged sections of sealed roads.

“It’s challenging. Every job is different, none are the same,” Jimmy says.

“It’s rewarding to see a hole in the middle of the road and fix it.

“I don’t like hitting potholes myself, so I don’t expect anybody else to hit potholes.”

Each morning starts with a trip to Lara to collect hotmix asphalt before heading out to the day’s jobs.

Work is grouped geographically where possible to maximise efficiency, allowing crews to complete multiple repairs in the same area.

On the day Country and Waters caught up with Jimmy, he was part of a crew digging out and patching a damaged section of Smith Street, Lorne, before returning to the Winchelsea area for a series of pothole repairs.

“The Flocon has everything we need to do a job on the road – it’s got jackhammers, crowbars, shovels, brooms, blowers,” Jimmy says.

Potholes can be repaired solo. Patching requires a team, including an excavator or backhoe driver to dig up damaged sections.

“Once they dig it out, it’s up to me to put the emulsion and asphalt down, whack it down and make it safe,” he says.

“I do the best I can to make every job level. I’m not perfect but I do my best.”

Council maintains around 1,089 kilometres of local roads across the Surf Coast, with just over half sealed and the remainder unsealed.

Road maintenance is not driven solely by community reports.

While residents play an important role in alerting Council to issues, dedicated staff also proactively inspect roads and identify repairs before they become larger problems.

Jimmy and his team’s workload can escalate during winter, when persistent rain quickly creates potholes and other road damage.

Water seeps into pavement cracks, weakening the road surface and accelerating deterioration.

The numbers tell the story of how large the task is: Council completed nearly 2,000 road maintenance jobs during the 2025-26 financial year, and will invest $21.21 million in maintenance, renewal, upgrades and safety projects in 2026-27.

After 35 years working in shearing sheds before joining Council, Jimmy still enjoys the daily task of keeping Surf Coast roads safe for the community.

“I’ve just had my 20 years’ service for Council – 20 years on the truck, and I’m still happy doing what I’m doing.”

Have you noticed a pothole or a road in need of repair or maintenance? Lodge a request anytime.