13th March 2002 Funding vital for rural roads

Local Government is the tier of Government most in touch with the people, yet increasingly burdened with the responsibilities of the State and Federal arms.

As Councils in regional and rural NSW struggle to upgrade and repair 142,000 kilometres of local roads and distribute funding equitably throughout their Shires, it has been revealed that the State Government had received an additional $191.6 million from motor vehicle taxation registration fees and drivers’ licences.

Reasonably, it may have been expected that these monies be channelled to the $1.5 billion worth of repairs and construction required on roads throughout the state.

With a budget surplus of $713 million released by Treasurer Egan, the disregard for rural concerns, such as roads, is further emphasised.

Constantly under pressure, Councils bear the brunt of local concern for State and Federal Governments.

t is reported that Councils are spending up to 40 percent of rates income repairing roads. In rural areas this is compounded as they have large road networks and small ratepayer bases. And still a Federal Court decision last year placed additional pressure on our struggling rural Councils. Since 1936 they have been protected by the legal principle of non-feasance which gave them immunity for deaths or injuries caused by a fault in a road which has not been repaired.

People injured on poorly maintained roads and footpaths now have the opportunity of suing the appropriate authorities.

Councils are at the end of the line in funding distributions and at the mercy of State and Federal Government “buck passing”.

The road network is the lifeblood of rural communities. They provide vital access for industry, tourism, social interactions, medical services, and so the list goes on.

Maintaining these roads to a standard which does not place rural communities at any disadvantage is vital.

Regional Road 402, Walgett Shire Council, is one of the many vital links at the mercy of State and Federal Governments.

The ratepayers and Roadusers Association who recently met with Councillors and Council representatives have engaged in intensive lobbying to see the stretch from Cumborah to the Castlereagh Highway sealed.

Walgett Shire Engineer, Mr. Colin Keen, assured the organisation that they too were lobbying the State Government for funding.

Whilst Walgett Shire Council has taken on board the legitimate concerns of the Roadusers and Ratpeayers Association and others who use the road, by progressively maintaining and upgrading, the repeated requests from this area have fallen upon deaf ears!