Mr. Michael Walsh:

I would not think so. We are on the transportation committee but it is accidental that we come from an engineering background. We are conscious of the particular needs and demands of asset investment, and not just for us. It could be related to water, sewerage or other areas, although there is a transition at the moment. The current fiscal environment - local as much as national - is controlling choices greatly. Managers are often accused that we present budgets and estimates to the elected members on a council but we do so with the view of having them passed, so we have regard to members' views, which operate along a continuum. It is about capacity more than anything else and the current fiscal environment does not allow for more resources being allocated to roads.

Different councils and managers may have different priorities and economic development, for example, is a key priority. Every manager would share the concern that if we do not keep the infrastructure right in some way, we will not have economic development, either in rural or urban settings. We need to keep a basic level. Members have mentioned forestry and quarries, which are all part of economic development. Our function is to keep roads as arteries primarily for societal use but they must also serve economic development. We genuinely try to prioritise on that basis.