Griffith and other Riverina council roads are dangerous, underfunded and in dire need of an upgrade, a new NRMA report has revealed.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A report released this week titled Funding Local Roads revealed Griffith’s roads are suffering a $4.64 million infrastructure backlog.
The backlog refers to the amount of work needed to be done to bring the roads up to acceptable standards.
Overall, Riverina council roads required $321 million more funding, mostly in Wagga – which is $297 million underfunded.
NRMA local Director Fiona Simson said that underfunded local roads were both unsafe and costly.
“Between 2011-15, fatal crashes cost the Riverina community $612.63 million, so increasing local roads funding will have enormous safety and economic benefits for the entire region,” she said.
The NRMA report urged state and federal governments to provide councils with more support.
Three of the key recommendations were:
1] Fast track funding of Roads to Recovery – the federal government program which funds council roads
2] Providing a percentage share of fuel taxes to local councils
3]Provide local government with low interest region specific infrastructure
“We need action now to effectively plan for and fund local roads, or the economic and social cost to local communities will continue to increase,” Ms Simson said.
The report revealed that 68 per cent of road deaths occur on council roads, as do 76 per cent of accidents.
Earlier this year, Griffith mayor John Dal Broi said the loss of a half a million dollars due to a freeze in federal assistance grants to local councils between 2014 and 2017 hampered efforts to maintain road quality.
“I estimate that we have lost between $450,000 and $500,000 over the past three years as a result of this assistance freeze.”
“We need to maintain our roads to a higher standard than other councils, given our role as an agricultural hub,” Cr Dal Broi said
In May 2017, the Turnbull Government overturned the decision to freeze payment increases, but NRMA argues the federal government needs to be doing far more to prevent road deterioration.
Ms Simson said a variety of factors were behind the backlog, including population growth and increased density in regional centres placing pressure on the road network, falling council rates revenue and inadequate Australian and NSW Government funding systems.
“We need action now to effectively plan for and fund local roads,” Ms Simson said.
