A state-wide roads emergency has been called by Local Government New South Wales [LGNSW] as members – mayors and councillors – gather in Hobart for the National Local Roads and Transport Congress.
“In the coming weeks close to $4 billion worth of crops will need to be harvested and transported, yet harvesting machinery is unable to access some of the most productive regions in our state,” said LGNSW President Darriea Turley.
The LGNSW have made an urgent call for both the NSW and Federal governments to increase funding for roads after an estimated $2.5 billion worth of damage has been visited on our roads following successive floods and torrential rain, and not helped by years of underfunding for road maintenance.
LGNSW is calling for:
- An acceleration and significant increase in funding for the $1.1 billion Fixing Local Roads and Fixing Country Bridges program
- A boost to Roadblock Grant funding to compensate for the damage to the regional road network
- New funding to provide councils with plant machinery and skilled workers to expedite road repairs.
President Turley warned that inaction would only see the economic and social harm caused by the roads emergency get worse.
The President, who is also a Broken Hill City councillor, highlighted the fact that 220 natural disasters have been declared this year in New South Wales, causing massive damage to the road network.
“Road repair funding pledged to date has fallen well short of what is required so we’re declaring this State-wide Roads Emergency to get help before the situation becomes even worse,” Cllr Turley said.
“The wider rural communities supporting Australia’s food bowl are on their knees, waiting for the network to be repaired.”
“When this rain finally recedes, we owe it to our communities that they gain access to their road network as quickly as possible.”
“NSW communities are facing an unprecedented disaster which requires an unprecedented response,” she said.
“I call on the NSW and Federal Governments to take action on the State-wide Roads Emergency and help our regional and rural communities bounce back from the devastation caused by this year’s floods.”
