LISMORE MP Janelle Saffin says NSW Labor’s new $670-million Emergency Road Repair Fund is a Minns Labor Government’s first investment in fixing the critical nature of our regional roads on the Northern Rivers and Northern Tablelands.
“For more than a decade, maintenance of regional roads has tended to be patch-up jobs and we’re certainly not doing world’s best practice. We need to turn this around,” Ms Saffin says.
“The Nationals in Government made a signature commitment in 2019 to reclassify and transfer up to 15,000 kilometres of roads to State responsibility but this has been an abject failure and could take another decade. It’s a hollow promise.
“NSW Labor will defer this failed road reclassification program and put the existing NSW Budget funding of $193 million – along with an additional $197 million of new money – into a more immediate response because road repair is so urgently needed.”
Ms Saffin says she welcomes NSW Labor Leader Chris Minns and NSW Shadow Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison’s confirmation today (3 March 2023) that a Minns Labor Government will continue the existing $280-million regional pothole program.
“This is a good baseline from which local councils can be confident they are being supported, particularly after last year’s flooding severely impacted what were already badly potholed roads,” Ms Saffin says.
“We will be providing an additional investment of $390 million over the next two years, bringing the total investment in road repair under the new Emergency Road Repair Fund to $670 million.”
A FILE photo of Lismore MP Janelle Saffin with NSW Labor Leader Chris Minns and NSW Shadow Minister for Roads and Shadow Minister for the North Coast John Graham MLC during a visit to our Electorate last year.
