WHILE car owners fume at damage to vehicles caused by potholes, Port Stephens Council is celebrating a small win on the budget stakes to repair our roads.

The NSW Government has announced a number of regional councils who will receive funding from the $500 million Regional and Local Roads Repair Program so they can get on with the job of repairing the state’s road network.

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Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Taylor Martin said Port Stephens Council will receive $1,333,225.

“This is part of the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government’s focus on improving and repairing the roads you use every day, making them more resilient to help keep communities safe and supply chains moving.

“Our freight industry, local communities, tourists and everyone who uses our road network will start to see the immediate benefits of these road repairs, with smoother, safer journeys.”

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway said the injection of funds means councils can plan and undertake work now to restore roads and help protect against reoccurring problems.

“After we announced our initial $50 million injection to help fix potholes across regional NSW in November a number of councils sat down with me and asked for additional help and funding,” Mr Farraway said.

“As a Coalition Government we listened and managed to secure an additional $280 million for regional councils, we also provided cash advancements for emergency disaster funding to eligible councils and have diverted Transport for NSW road crews to help fix local roads.

“Since 2019, we have invested $1.8 billion into fixing the local roads you use to make your daily life easier.

NSW Road Freight CEO Simon O’Hara said they had written to the state government and opposition on priorities for NSW truckies and articulated that the sooner roads are repaired the better for the Australian freight industry.

“Over the last few years, Australia’s supply chain took a hit with so many roads closed due to bushfires, flooding and diversions in place,” Mr O’Hara said.

“Every 100km out of a truck driver’s way costs over $300, helping councils to build and repair the infrastructure that reduces travel for the freight industry will ultimately reduce costs for families at the register and deliver safer roads for everyone.”

The funding will help to fill around 420,000 potholes on council roads in addition to the more than 220,000 potholes that government crews have patched inside the last twelve months on state-owned roads.

The new money is also on top of existing funding and assistance to councils including the Regional Roads Block Grant program and NSW Disaster Assistance Arrangements.

Member for Port Stephens Kate Washington said, “If there’s one word which sums up 2022, it’s ‘potholes’.

“The state of our local roads has caused havoc for our community.

“Despite Council’s best efforts, it simply can’t afford to undertake all the maintenance that’s required.

“I have been raising this issue with the NSW Liberal government and any funding is welcome.

“But what’s been doled out isn’t going to go close to fixing all the potholes we’ve got.

“In 2019, the NSW Liberal government committed to re-classifying and transferring up to 15,000km of local and ‘regional’ roads such as the Bucketts Way, Clarence Town Road and Medowie Road.

“Four years on and they haven’t taken over one metre of any regional road, anywhere.

“It’s yet another broken promise from a tired twelve year old government, which has left our community dealing with major potholes on major roads and costly car repairs.

“Our community deserves better,” she said.

By Marian SAMPSON