An Ulladulla man is threatening to take legal action against Queanbeyan Palerang Regional Council over a $375 bill for a cracked windscreen damaged while driving through council roadworks.
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Bill Hopkins said he was driving on Braidwood Road south of Goulburn last month when his windscreen was hit by a rock "half the size of a golf ball".
Mr Hopkins said he tried to contact the council for reimbursement for the damage to his Ford Ranger, but was knocked back.
"I contacted council to say that the road is unsafe, and they denied the payment twice," he said.
"I'm just one person. How many people have gone through the same thing and required legitimate coverage of the cost. They're meant to be supervising the roadwork."
The Ulladulla resident travels to the ACT region two to three times a month as part of his work as a metal fabricator teacher.
He said the conditions on the road as a result of the construction work could result in many other cars getting damaged.
"The signs were saying the speed limit was 40km/h because of road resurfacing, and people were driving to the conditions," he said.
"The road conditions were just not suitable.
Mr Hopkins said a vacuum truck, often used at roadwork sites to clear loose gravel, would not be able to clear rocks as large as the one which damaged his car.
"Vacuum trucks are designed for dust and debris, and gravel half that size," he said.
"If ratepayers want to pay for court cost, then that's what I'm prepared to do and I want to seek compensation."
The driver also said many other roads in the council area are unsafe for drivers, including sections of the Kings Highway which is also undergoing roadworks.
"I drive for work through roads in the Northern Territory, and the Kings Highway is worse than that," he said.
A spokesman for Queanbeyan Council said Mr Hopkins' claims of compensation was denied as there was "no negligence on the part of council".
"Upon receiving the complaint, staff investigated the matter and engineers carried out a detailed inspection of the site," the spokesman said.
"The road engineers found that the road is in a good condition and was recently resealed."
The road works on Braidwood Road are expected to be completed in June.
Mr Hopkins said despite his requests for compensation being denied by council, he's still willing to take the matter further.
"I put in two reasonable requests, and I'm prepared to take the matter to court. They failed their duty of care," he said.
