5/6/2023 0 Comments Rain overlayTurley said it wouldn’t go “anywhere near” what was needed to address the crisis.įlooding in February and March alone caused $1.3bn worth of damage to local roads. On Thursday, the federal and state governments announced $312.5m in funding for 26 flood-impacted LGAs in northern NSW to rebuild damaged roads. “You go out and repair a road it washes it away, it’s constant, not just a one-off.” “I don’t think there’s one council that hasn’t been affected,” she said. Local Government NSW president, Darriea Turley, said councils were “really struggling” with the snowballing impact of natural disasters. Some are still trying to repair infrastructure damaged in the 2019-2020 bushfires. Other local governments across NSW are facing similar issues. And we are once again facing a very wet summer.” Mayor Mark Greenhill says extreme weather has caused $400m worth of damage in 12 months. Trees that fell in wild weather in the Blue Mountains in March 2022. “It hits rural and semi-rural councils particularly hard as we have such a narrow rates base. “There’s no way local governments can cope alone with the impacts of climate change,” Greenhill said. “We are all absolutely exhausted by it … on top of record rains, material shortages and sky-rocketing costs, our roads have taken a literal beating that has left one third of the network damaged.”Ĭouncils are responsible for 90% of the NSW road network, including road safety and maintenance. “If they’re not safe, I can’t put people’s lives at risk. ![]() “If we don’t start getting more government funding fast, I’ll be forced to start closing roads,” he said. ![]() Crews have been working extended hours to patch potholes during downpours. Greenhill said the damage was likely to continue with the forecast for heavy rain through spring and summer, which he said would also have a major impact on the council’s ability to conduct repairs. The council’s total annual income is $90m. The mayor of Blue Mountains council, Mark Greenhill, said extreme weather, including heavy rain, flooding and landslides, had caused $400m worth of damage in the shire – the equivalent of 10 years’ worth of roadworks in 12 months.
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