The Road Maintenance Symposium 2026 is a one-day, practical industry forum for professionals planning, delivering and managing road maintenance and rehabilitation across regional and local government networks in New South Wales.

Organised jointly by the Australian Flexible Pavement Association (AfPA), Pavement Recycling & Stabilisation Association (AustStab) and Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA) NSW/ACT, the Symposium brings together councils, Transport for NSW, contractors, consultants and suppliers for practical learning, discussion and networking.

The program includes a dedicated networking function, giving attendees a relaxed opportunity to connect with colleagues from government and industry.

Attendees who complete the full-day program can claim up to 6 CPD hours.

Regional Road Issues in Focus

• Flood and Storm Recovery: Washouts, landslips, damaged approaches, causeways and bridges.
• Water and Drainage: Moisture ingress, culvert performance and protecting pavement life.
• Unsealed Road Access: Wet-weather damage, grading, resheeting and material performance.
• Freight and Connectivity: Heavy agricultural traffic, load constraints and reliable regional access.

Who Should Attend

The Symposium is designed for practitioners involved in the planning, delivery and management of regional road maintenance and rehabilitation across New South Wales, including:

• Council engineers, asset managers and infrastructure leaders
• Works supervisors, depot managers and maintenance crews
• Transport for NSW and regional project practitioners
• Pavement contractors and specialist subcontractors
• Consultants, designers and technical advisers
• Materials, equipment and technology suppliers

Why Attend

Tamworth Regional Council manages more than 3,000 km of sealed and gravel roads, including over 1,900 km of unsealed roads. Across Tamworth, Gunnedah and the wider New England North West, road managers are balancing planned maintenance with flood and storm recovery, water ingress, drainage and culvert failures, wet-weather deterioration of unsealed roads, and heavy agricultural and freight movements.

The Symposium focuses on practical treatments and delivery approaches that protect network access, improve resilience, extend pavement life and reduce repeat maintenance, with sessions covering flood and storm recovery, drainage and culvert performance, unsealed road access, and freight and connectivity pressures on regional networks.

Whether you’re an engineer managing flood-damaged infrastructure, an asset manager balancing planned works against emergency restoration, or a depot manager under pressure from wet-weather deterioration, this Symposium delivers practical guidance, real project experience and proven techniques tailored to regional NSW conditions.

What You’ll Learn

• How drainage, moisture management and timely sealing prevent repeat failures
• Practical approaches to flood-damaged roads, causeways, culverts and bridge approaches
• When stabilisation, pavement recycling and rehabilitation deliver best whole-of-life value
• Treatment selection for sealed and unsealed regional networks
• Maintaining pavement performance under heavy vehicle and agricultural freight
• How to prioritise emergency restoration while keeping planned programs moving