Increased dust suppression to help performance of unsealed roads

Published on 28 September 2026

We are preparing for our annual dust suppression program, helping to reduce dust and improve the condition of unsealed roads across the shire throughout the drier months of the year.

The list of roads to feature in the program has been developed through an assessment of all unsealed roads against set criteria.

It is a change from previous years where selection of roads has been driven by resident applications.

The aim of the new approach is to prioritise roads where dust suppression will most benefit the wider community.

Roads have been assessed and included in the program based on:

A total of 26 roads will be treated, spanning Aireys Inlet, Anglesea, Bellbrae, Breamlea, Buckley, Deans Marsh, Gherang, Inverleigh, Moggs Creek, Mount Duneed, Pennyroyal, Torquay, Winchelsea, Winchelsea South and Wurdi Boluc.

Road treatments will take place during December and January.

Deputy Mayor Tony Phelps said Council was allocating more funding toward dust suppression after it was recommended in a 2024 review of the organisation’s unsealed roads management.

“Dust suppression stabilises and helps improve the performance of unsealed roads, reducing other maintenance costs,” Councillor Phelps said.

“We’ve increased the budget for dust suppression by $50,000 this year and next year, allowing us to include more roads in the program.

“We hope the community will notice a difference in the condition of unsealed roads during the drier months, when dust and corrugation can become a problem.”

Council’s total budget allocation for dust suppression in 2026-27 is $170,000.

The list of included roads will be assessed each year and, over time, it is expected the program will become cyclical, with roads added and removed based on current need and level of priority.

“This approach will help us make the best use of the allocated budget and extend the benefits of dust suppression across a wider section of our unsealed road network,” Cr Phelps said.

Residents wishing to have unsealed roads treated that are not featured in this year’s Council program can apply through a new property owner contribution. Applications close 9 October.

Information about the property owner contribution and a map of all roads included in this year’s dust suppression program are available on our Road Management webpage.

Investment in maintenance and renewal of assets such as roads is a priority in the Council Plan 2025-29 under the ‘Assets and Infrastructure’ strategic direction.