Media Release - Labor's $36 Million Plan to Upgrade and Repair Cootamundra Electorate's Roads

15 March 2023

JENNY AITCHISON MP
NSW SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL ROADS AND TRANSPORT

CHRIS DAHLITZ
LABOR CANDIDATE FOR COOTAMUNDRA

LABOR’S $36 MILLION PLAN TO UPGRADE & REPAIR COOTAMUNDRA ELECTORATE’S ROADS

NSW Labor will contribute over $36 million for emergency road repairs across the Cootamundra electorate after more than a decade of neglect by the Nationals, compounded by floods and bushfire, and a failure to invest in regional road maintenance.

Labor’s $36.9 million emergency road repairs package is in addition to (and in fact will more than double) the funding included in the Government’s pothole funding announcement from earlier this year.

It includes:

$7,785,898 to Bland Shire Council
$3,463,698 to Coolamon Shire Council
$3,456,275 to Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council
$3,456,275 to Cowra Shire Council
$6,793,796 to Hilltops Council
$2,169,759 to Junee Shire Council
$3,849,652 to Narrandera Shire Council
$3,297,935 to Temora Shire Council
$2,684,365 to Weddin Shire Council

In 2019, the Liberals and Nationals promised to reclassify and transfer up to 15,000 km of roads to help lift the burden on Councils. Despite being the Government’s signature regional roads commitment in 2019, it remains unfulfilled - and in the last four years has transferred a total of zero kilometres of regional roads.

Deputy Premier Paul Toole and Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway have recently said the process could take another four years to complete, and the report has already been sitting on Minister Farrway’s Desk for over four months.

Mayors and Councillors across the state have expressed extreme frustration at the Government’s broken promise on roads reclassification, demanding action now.

Quotes attributable to Shadow Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison MP:

“For the last 12 years, the Nationals have overseen billions of dollars in cost blowouts and overspends in mega projects in metropolitan areas at the expense of the regions.”

“Labor’s commitment of over $36 million for Cootamundra electorate roads will provide much needed cost of living relief for councils and communities by repairing their damaged roads after 12 years of inaction, floods and fires and deliver the roads that are needed to provide the roads our regions need for the future.

NSW Labor candidate for Cootamundra Chris Dahlitz said:

“Labor’s commitment of over $36 million will provide much needed cost of living relief for our local Council’s and people in the local community.”

“The condition of the roads in the Cootamundra electorate are the result of a Liberal National Government that has failed to deliver for regional communities.”

“Labor is committed to supporting Councils to fix the local roads that people use every day to get to work, get the kids to school or get to medical appointments.”