MCGIRR DELIVERING SAFER ROADS FOR REGIONAL DRIVERS

On the 4th of January 2023 the State Government announced a $500 million repair package for Local Councils to conduct urgent road repairs and pothole removal around New South Wales. This is welcome news and is the next step in a regional road repairs campaign that I have been spearheading.

The Joint Standing Committee into Road Safety noted that between 2016 to 2020 there were over 9776 people killed or seriously injured on NSW country roads. The estimated cost of road trauma, emergency services responding, health care and loss of worker productivity totalled $13.7 billion and continues to rise.

Local Councils are responsible for maintaining 90% of our road networks. However, the collective cost of repairing council managed roads after repeated flooding across New South Wales in 2022 was $2.5 billion and rising, well beyond the financial capabilities of Local Council.

In October 2022, the State Government announced a $50 million road repairs fund. This amount was a positive start in response to my suggestion to the State Government that they reinvest the $45 million collected from motorists through mobile speed camera fines into road repairs.

The application process to access the NSW government funds should be as seamless as possible. We do not need urgent work caught up in red tape.

Safe roads are equally vital for both personal and commercial usage. Our farmers need to transport their goods and families must get home safely.

Our roads are the nation’s biggest physical asset. They are vital to our well-being and productivity. We need to keep them in good condition and as safe as possible.

It is important that the government closely monitor progress on repairs and make additional funds available as needed.