The NSW Government has allocated an initial package of $500 million to help repair the damage done to roads during the 2022 floods and torrential rains.
It is estimated that a total of $2.5 billion in road damage was caused by 2022’s natural disasters.
The package is designed to support emergency road works and to undertake heavy patching of the pothole damage to roads, with the money expected to be available to councils by the end of the month.
NSW had more than 220 natural disasters declared across the state during 2022 prompting the Local Government NSW to declare a Statewide Roads Emergency.
LGNSW president Darriea Turley said the $2.5 billion roads damage bill caused by these disasters was just an added burden to the backlog of $1.9 billion worth of road repairs already needed.
She has called the half a billion dollar package a good start.
“Councils welcome this $500 million funding injection, and we are incredibly grateful that the New South Wales Government has recognised the statewide roads crisis and the imminent collapse of the local and regional road network,” Cr Turley said.
Cr Turley said that good roads were not only essential to ensure the safety of road users but essential to ensure economic prosperity for NSW.
“Good roads are good for us all: for business, for our agricultural sector, and for everyday drivers who just want to get to where they need to be safely and without damage to their vehicles.”