Bega Valley Shire Council has made a submission to a Federal Government inquiry into the implications of severe weather events on the national, regional, rural and remote road network.
With the Bega Valley local government area experiencing 10 declared natural disasters in the past three years since the Black Summer bushfires, Council’s CEO, Anthony McMahon said he was pleased to see the inquiry return long-term improvements to local roads.
“For the past three years we have witnessed countless scenes of roads across Australia being torn apart by flooding, and many of these have been in our own backyard,” Mr McMahon said.
“Councillors recently agreed to build on a unified message from the Canberra Region Joint Organisation (CRJO) which spelled out the need for proactive investment in roads and bridges rather than repetitively funding repairs.”
“Bega Valley Shire Council was instrumental in working with CRJO members to draft their recently endorsed submission, and now we have referenced this submission with additional key points relevant to our organisation and community.
“Our submission forms part of a long-term strategy aimed at both state and federal governments to highlight the funding needs of councils with a rate base not large enough to fund the extensive road and bridge networks we are expected to manage.
“All road users should have access to a functional and well-maintained road network, and we welcome the Federal Government inquiry that formally investigates the widespread impacts of severe weather events on our roads.
“Our submission makes 16 recommendations to the Australian Government as well as taking a wider look at the role Council roads play in developing more resilient routes to keep traffic moving during flood and fire events.
“The recommendations refer specifically to key Australian Government programs that need additional flexibility and funding support, in particular the Roads to Recovery Program, the Bridge Renewal Program and Natural Disaster Funding Arrangements.
“For example, we are calling for the doubling of the annual Roads to Recovery Program budget to $1 billion across the country, and at the minimum expand funding of the Bridge Renewal Program to $170 million per year.
“Our hope is that a unified voice from Councils around Australia will send a very clear picture that economic development, sustained productivity and the wellbeing of local communities is dependent on a resilient and operational road and bridge network.”
The Bega Valley Shire Council submission calls on the Australian Government to:
