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If you see a brightly coloured van with roof-mounted cameras driving around Warrnambool over the next fortnight, it’s not Google.

The van is conducting a road condition audit on behalf of the Warrnambool City Council from March 13.

Warrnambool Mayor Cr Debbie Arnott said that understanding the current condition of the city’s 312km sealed road network would help with ongoing maintenance.

“Over the next two weeks, the van will drive along all of our sealed roads to obtain detailed video imaging, creating a condition assessment that will prove invaluable for our assets management team,” Cr Arnott said.

“The last road survey was conducted in 2019 using the same method, so we will compare those results against what we receive this time so we can monitor any deterioration.

“While occasionally we need to carry out unplanned road maintenance after heavy rain, the majority of what we do is proactive.

“It’s usually less disruptive and more cost effective to maintain what we have, and an important part of that is knowing the condition of our road network so that we can prioritise and plan ahead.”

The assessment vehicles are driven by experienced operators travelling at normal traffic speeds.

Hazard lighting and other warning devices will be in operation while laser measurement and video recording activities of roads and access ways are completed.

Vehicles are clearly identifiable and will operate seamlessly within normal surrounding traffic patterns. 

When following these vehicles, please keep a full car length behind to provide the rear cameras with a clear view of the road surface.

All cameras used by the vans are focused on the road and kerb surface structure with some limited viewing of areas directly adjacent. No image recordings of private properties or structures will be undertaken.