![Dubbo Regional Council will be doing more than fixing potholes with the $5 million funding. Picture by Amy McIntyre Dubbo Regional Council will be doing more than fixing potholes with the $5 million funding. Picture by Amy McIntyre](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/37qTRiw9gHRe7AczHzCfjaK/de39db3f-2e39-4671-a496-2489e2a310ef.jpg/r0_0_1126_656_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
With an extra $5 million in the bank to fix local roads, Dubbo Regional Council will be doing more than just filling potholes.
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The council received $5,074,270 from the NSW Government in a bid to help repair the regions crumbling roads.
DRC manager infrastructure delivery, Kerrie Murphy, said this funding would go towards more permanent treatments to the road network and any funding to assist with this type of work is "welcomed".
"The funding will allow more substantial works to occur rather than pothole repairs, which are an appropriate short term repair and will be of benefit to the community," she said.
The NSW premier announced $500 million for regional and metropolitan councils to repair roads across the state at the start of 2023 after the Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway launched a $50 million recovery fund in October that was widely panned for being an inadequate allocation of funds.
A report will be brought forward to DRC at the February 23 ordinary council meeting that will outline the proposed locations and the type of works to be undertaken with the $5 million.
"Once voted upon, works will then be programmed to be undertaken during this calendar year," Ms Murphy said.
The types of works eligible under the grant include:
- Road patching
- Heavy patching
- Reshaping unsealed roads
- Drainage and culvert corrective maintenance
- Re-grading unsealed roads
- Some pavement renewal works
As part of the program from the NSW Government, MP Dugald Saunders announced more than $12 million for the Dubbo electorate.
READ MORE:
- $5,074,270 for Dubbo Regional Council to repair 2783 kilometres of council-owned roads
- $4,134,301 for Mid-Western Regional Council to repair 2268 kilometres of council-owned roads
- $3,056,154 for Narromine Shire Council to repair 1676 kilometres of council-owned roads
"Driving around the region, whether it's Trangie in the west or Gulgong in the east, we've all seen just how bad the potholes have become," Mr Saunders said.
"That's why the NSW Nationals announced the $500 million Regional and Local Roads Repair Program to fix the potholes on council roads right across the state - this is about fixing the roads you use every day."
Since 2019, the councils have received:
- Dubbo Regional Council - $8,138,000 (block funding) + $13,567,941.13 (grant program funding)
- Mid-Western Regional Council - $10,224,000 (block funding) + $13,854,070.45 (grant program funding)
- Narromine Shire Council - $4,710,000 (block funding) + $2,129,008.07 (grant program funding)
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.
"We managed to secure an additional $280 million for regional councils. We also provided cash advances for emergency disaster funding to eligible councils and have diverted Transport for NSW road crews to help fix local roads," he said.
"I encourage councils to get the deeds signed quickly so that funding for your local and regional roads gets to you sooner for essential repairs to get underway."
![With more than $5 million to fix roads, Dubbo Council hasn't decided where to begin With more than $5 million to fix roads, Dubbo Council hasn't decided where to begin](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/37qTRiw9gHRe7AczHzCfjaK/ce6ec497-4c99-43ef-8fcf-966c4cb52497.jpg/r0_0_1984_282_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)