Berrigan Shire Council and Murrumbidgee Council will receive more than $1 million in combined NSW road funding to fix damage caused by the current flood crisis.
The two local councils are among 94 local government areas that will benefit from a $50 million fund to fix potholes in local roads.
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway said the Fixing Local Roads Pothole Repair Round is intended to offer additional support for councils to “repair their most damaged roads, improving safety and reducing wear and tear on vehicles”.
The funding announcement comes after Murrumbidgee Council voiced concerns about the state of local roads at its November meeting.
Murrumbidgee Council resolved to join with Local Government NSW and the Country Mayors’ Association of NSW in declaring a statewide road emergency, supporting their call for a number of actions.
These actions include calling for an acceleration and significant increase in funding from the NSW Government for the $1.1 billion Fixing Local Roads and Fixing Country Bridges program.
Council also supported a boost to Road Block Grants funding from the Federal Government to compensate for the damage to the regional road network, and new funding from the Federal Government to provide councils with plant, machinery and skilled workers to expedite road repairs.
Mayor Ruth McRae said as part of this campaign, council wrote to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet seeking immediate support and action in November.
“We have faced, and may continue to face, an unprecedented and unrelenting series of natural disasters that has seen residents and business owners cleaning up again and again, people isolated, workers unable to get to work, and students unable to get to training or school,” Cr McRae said at the time.
“Add to this our very real and immediate concern for our primary producers.
“This latest rain event hit our LGA at a critical time.
“Winter crops, such as wheat, barley, oats, canola and chick peas, are ready to be harvested and the window for planting summer crops, including cotton, corn and rice only lasts a matter of weeks and is being compromised daily.
“Livestock are ready to go to sale. The local and regional road network is critically-enabling infrastructure.
“It is absolutely vital to our primary producers, and the key to keeping affordable food on the table across New South Wales and beyond.”
Cr McRae said the road network of councils across the state had disastrous damage and councils were facing a “task beyond the reasonable scope” of any Local Government authority.
“We face an unprecedented disaster that requires an unprecedented response,” she said.
Berrigan Shire Council Mayor Matt Hannan said the funding was desperately needed to ensure vehicles involved in the upcoming harvest could safely get onto properties and deliver the grain to storage facilities.
Cr Hannan said the federal and state governments needed to look not just at funding road repairs, but providing a resource allocation to make the task as efficient as possible.
Berrigan Shire’s water levels have reduced considerably meaning it was now in a recovery phase.
Council obtained funding for a consultant to assess its road infrastructure, which is expected to start in January.
“Once the assessments are done, council will be applying for funding to get our assets restored,” a Berrigan Shire Council spokesperson said.
“Council will also be looking at funding to get other community and critical assets assessed apart from roads.”
The NSW road network is more than 180,000 kilometres long, with local councils currently responsible for maintaining well in excess 85 per cent of it, including regional and local roads.