Dubbo Council decides how to spend $5 million road funding

Dubbo Regional Council received $5,074,270 from the state government to help repair the regions crumbling roads.

A list of roads that would receive a share of the funding was brought forward to council on February 23, including $1,311,849 for Saxa Road.

On top of the $1.3 million funding, MP Dugald Saunders announced this week that the NSW Government would be giving Dubbo Regional Council more than $1.74 million from the Government's Fixing Country Roads Program to upgrade Saxa Road.

"I'm very happy to see Saxa Road receive vitally important upgrades that will kee pour local economy moving," he said.

The funding will enable works from Maryvale Road for three kilometers in a northerly direction, and includes three kilometers of pavement widening and strengthening, seal widening, extension of existing culverts and installation of new box culverts, improving table drains and clear zones, new two-coat bitumen, centre and edge lines and the installation of traffic signs and guide posts.

Councillor Josh Black put up the amendment because he had noticed talk on the Council Discussion Facebook page about the issues that had been occurring on Boundary Road.

Taking a drive out to the area, Cr Black said he had the "misfortune" of driving along the road and can report it is as bad as residents are claiming.

"I noticed a lot of cars driving across the dotted line and on the other side of the road," he said.

"It would be a pretty important set of roadworks for $25,000 and it is an extremely busy road."

Councillor Matthew Wright said he also had to move onto the other side of the road when driving along Boundary Road but wanted to know if $25,000 would cover the cost to fix the issue.

Director of Infrastructure Luke Ryan said $25,000 wouldn't be a full road rehabilitation and just heavy patching.

"It's more significant than doing pothole work...it's taking two metres by 50 metres, removing it and fixing it with asphalt as the top layer," he explained.

Deputy mayor Richard Ivey said while he had no objections to the amendment he did have some reservations.

"I could drive around and find 15 other areas that are in the same condition...there are plenty of areas like that so I'm a bit hesitant," he said.

Councillor Jessica Gough questioned if taking money from the Saxa Road allocation would make a huge difference to work being conducted and Mr Ryan explained the overall $1.3 million allocation to Saxa Road wouldn't complete the works.

"Taking money from that particular road just means that less work can happen along it," he said.

With three votes for the amendment and three votes against, the mayor used his casting vote against the amendment. Councillors Pam Wells and Shibli Chowdhury were away and did not vote.

Councillor Black said as a council they have to make tough decisions.

"If we are only going to vote for everything the staff puts up than what's the point in having councillors?" he said.

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Cr Ivey said the $5 million from the state government is great but it would be nice to receive more.

"I like that the recommendation notes council will continue to pursue other funding streams," he said.

"I think the $5 million is fantastic but it's literally a drop in the bucket."

A report from DRC staff showed that the Dubbo region needs around $65 million worth of work done to enhance and get its regional roads up to standard.

"We are never going to be able to afford to do that as a council and that's a massive burden, we need to do anything in our power to get those roads off council books and onto the state government," Cr Black said.

Cr Wright said a number of the roads had been prioritised by staff for a number of reasons.

"I guess the danger I see in holding off and lobbying the state to take on these roads and transfer them is that there are a lot of residents in those areas that will continue to be victims of these roads whilst it remains in the condition that it's in," he said.

"To take the money and spend it on helping the residents and road users sooner is better than how long it will take to lobby the state government."

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