The NSW Government has put up an additional $50 million to address the pothole crisis. Photo: Supplied.
As Wagga MLC Wes Fang declared on Facebook this week: “You’ve got to have the reflexes of a F1 driver to dodge the potholes these days!”
But there is some good news for the Riverina’s rattled drivers, with the State Government putting up an additional $50 million to help regional and rural councils fix their crumbling roads.
It’s estimated that the money will fill as many as 420,000 potholes.
“This additional support will help ease the pressure local councils are facing and boost the resources they can draw upon to repair their most damaged roads to improve safety and reduce wear and tear on vehicles,” Mr Fang said.
Road crews across the Riverina are contending with wet weather as they battle to patch our roads. Photo: WWCC.
The money comes on top of $500 million invested through the Fixing Local Roads program and more than 135,000 potholes patched in regional NSW since February.
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway acknowledged the enormity of the challenge at hand.
“We certainly have plenty more potholes that still require attention, particularly on council-managed roads, which is why our Government is putting more money on the table for councils to repair potholes on the roads regional communities use every day,” he said.
Riverina residents know the problem only too well as hard-working repair crews struggle to keep up in the face of ongoing rain and ever-more holes.
A recent call for some of our readers’ favourites unearthed some pearlers, although Region has questioned the authenticity of a couple – particularly one depicting a sinkhole on the “Old Narrandera Road, Pine Gully Rd intersection Gobbagombalin”.
An additional challenge facing motorists who do fall foul of a nasty pothole and damage their vehicle is the wait on insurance claims.
Thousands have been lodged already this year but each requires the road in question to be assessed, leading to a backlog.
Drivers can seek compensation for pothole damage by making a public liability claim through the Service NSW website but Transport for NSW has warned that it will take a while.
In the meantime, the additional funding under the Fixing Local Roads Pothole Repair Round is available to 95 regional councils, with the work to be completed within the next calendar year.
Applications are open for the next two weeks, with funding announced in November so councils can begin work as soon as possible.
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