Dungog’s limited funds and extensive local roads

DUNGOG Shire Council is continuing to call for more State Government funding for the region’s roads.

This comes after the Federal Government announced an initiative to improve funding partnerships and the number of financial assistance grants with councils across the country.

Speaking to NOTA, Dungog mayor Digby Rayward said that the initiative was a step in the right direction.

“For too long, councils like ours have been expected to do more with less, maintaining extensive road networks and delivering essential community services with limited funding,” Cr Rayward said.

“The proposed changes recognise the critical role local government plays in supporting our communities and are a positive step towards a fairer and more sustainable funding model.

“We look forward to seeing these commitments translated into action, providing councils like Dungog with the long-term funding certainty needed to plan ahead, invest in critical infrastructure, and remain financially sustainable.”

Mayor Rayward has been a vocal advocate for the improvement of the roads across Dungog in recent months.

Many roads across the LGA have numerous potholes and other defects.

Dungog Shire is the only NSW LGA where none of the roads are state owned so therefore council bears the full physical and financial responsibility of maintenance and repairs.

This is an issue that the surrounding LGAs of Port Stephens and Maitland don’t have.

When asked about this, funding a Transport NSW spokesperson said:

“Road funding levels cannot be readily compared across local government areas because councils receive State Government road funding through a range of different programs, each with different objectives and assessment criteria.

“Among the key considerations in determining funding outcomes are the function and extent of the road network within a local government area, the size and condition of the local and regional road network, traffic volumes, including freight heavy vehicle movements, population growth and housing development pressures and eligibility and assessment requirements under specific funding programs.”

By Joseph RICHARDS