Roads in the Cessnock City Council Local Government Area (LGA) and Lake Macquarie City Council LGA will benefit from $6,481,779 in funding from the new Regional Emergency Road Repair Fund (RERRF) announced in the 2023-24 NSW Budget.
Clayton Barr, State Member for the Electorate of Cessnock said the new cash injection would enable local councils across the state to proceed with urgent road and pothole repairs.
“Whether it’s fixing potholes, sealing roads, resurfacing or rehabilitating sections of road — this new fund will help councils undertake much needed work to help repair their road networks,” Clayton Barr said.
“I am also pleased to see councils will be able to prioritise what roads to spend this new money on and allocate it to where they believe the community need is greatest.”
Budget figures show in the Cessnock Electorate, the following councils will benefit from RERRF funding:
• Cessnock City Council: $2,788,494
• Lake Macquarie City Council: $3,693,285
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Jenny Aitchison said the funding amount allocated to each council was based on the total kilometres of regional and local roads that each council was responsible for managing.
“The Minns Labor Government’s RERRF will deliver $390 million to 95 eligible councils across NSW to upgrade their roads,” Minister Aitchison said.
“That new investment will be in the bank accounts of councils later this year and they’ll now be able to start work planning and preparing for road improvements that will make a big difference to the lives of their residents.”
Additionally, the NSW Government will create a new $334 million Regional Roads Fund to build new roads and roundabouts, replace or repair old bridges and improve safety at crash blackspots in rural and regional areas.
The Minns Labor Government is prioritising getting our road networks in the regions back on track, with help for every eligible council to fix their roads and build the roads they need to help their growing communities prosper.