Griffith City Council mayor John Dal Broi said council had been recently “lobbying and lobbying hard” to secure funding to fix “high-priority” roads around the Griffith area which include Boorga Road, Bringagee Road and Barber Road.

Member for Murray Austin Evans said he had been working “pretty hard” with council to put these roads forward for funding.

And while everyone can agree the cause is necessary and all roads are worthy of upgrades, questions have been raised about the process behind the selection of roads chosen to be put forward for government grants.

This news provided a glimmer of hope for Boorga Road user and long-time campaigner Michael Pfitzner.

"It’s about time,” Mr Pfitzner said.

“We would certainly welcome the news with open arms if council was successful in getting a grant for the road.”

However the mayor has been criticised by Griffith Chamber President Pat Pittavino for “shooting from the hip.”

He says Bringagee Road in particular – while in need of upgrades – has appeared nowhere else for consultation in council documents or planning procedures.

“The chamber are of the view the mayor is just shooting from the hip,” Mr Pittavino said.

“While we agree that all roads are in need of upgrades, Bringagee Road has not been mentioned anywhere for a long time – where did it come from now?

“If the proper process isn’t followed and the correct procedures kept, it makes it less likely we will succeed in funding attempts.”

Deputy mayor Doug Curran, while supporting a push for needed road funding, said he had not been aware of council lobbying for either Bringagee or Barber Road, despite many voices raised in the Griffith community calling for their upgrades.

“I’m not aware of Bringagee or Barber Road lobbying,” Cr Curran said.

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When asked if Bringagee Road was on the list of council priorities, Cr Dal Broi said due to the ever-changing demands in certain areas, priorities change with change in area and road usage.

“I know the story came out that [Bringagee Road] not on our priority list, but it is a road that has high traffic allowance… especially during cotton harvest,” Cr Dal Broi said.

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