NSW Farmers President James Jackson has welcomed the state government’s push to fast-track flood-damaged road repairs, but warns the problem needs long-term attention.
“As waters subside we’re seeing huge damage to roads, which is dangerous to local communities, farmers and truckies as they try to clean up and get back to normal,” Mr Jackson said.
“Damaged roads not only present a huge problem in terms of detours and delays, but also in the increased wear and tear on vehicles, which can be quite costly.
“We know urgent work needs to be done and I commend the state government for releasing this funding, but we need a long-term strategy to avoid this constant repair and ruin cycle.”
The NSW Government is providing advance funding to councils through Australian Government Disaster Recovery Funding (Category B), with the process to be administered by Transport for NSW in coordination with Resilience NSW. Initial funding will go to: Ballina Shire, Bellingen Shire, Byron Shire, Clarence Valley, Glen Innes Severn Shire, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley, Tenterfield and Tweed Shire. According to the government, additional councils may be eligible to receive advance funding and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Mr Jackson said the ongoing flood repair works in the Lachlan Valley after flooding late last year was a clear reminder that this was a statewide issue that needed to be addressed.
“This time it’s the north coast, and we know there’s flood damage right the way down the coast, but we also know that next time it could be the New England or the Hunter or down south again,” Mr Jackson said.
“In a country as big as this, we need our roads to be safe and open during emergencies and it’s time we had a sit down and think about the best way to prevent future flood damage.
“It’s good to see this funding released, but we’ll save money in the long-term if we do it once and do it properly.”
