Dave Layzell MP, Member for Upper Hunter today announced that local councils now have an extension until July 16 2021 to apply for funding to help them fix local roads to drive safer, smoother journeys in Upper Hunter and support thousands of jobs.
Mr Layzell said applications for round three of the NSW Government’s $500 million Fixing Local Roads Program, which is helping regional councils repair, maintain and seal priority local roads in their communities, have now been extended.
“The $500 million Fixing Local Roads Program, which received an additional injection of $191 million from the Federal Government, demonstrated the NSW Government’s commitment to building a safer, stronger road network in the regions,” Mr Layzell said.
“Our local councils have a mammoth task in providing for their communities and maintaining their infrastructure.”
“That’s why Fixing Local Roads is so important – it’s giving councils a helping hand to address their maintenance backlog and repair, maintain or seal the local roads that really matter to their communities.”
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole said the program has already delivered more than $393 million for 361 projects across 91 Local Government Areas in regional NSW.
“That’s hundreds of projects stretching from Cobar to Coffs Harbour that’s supporting thousands of jobs in the bush,” Mr Toole said.
“Communities are already starting to see the benefits of this program, with more than 60 of these projects open to traffic, another 17 projects close to finished and another 108 are in delivery. In total, this program is supporting about 3500 jobs across NSW.
“We know how much better roads mean in the bush – and we’ve decided to extend applications for this latest round because projects like these are creating hundreds of jobs and helping regional communities recover from the impact of floods, bushfires, drought and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We want to ensure councils are geared up and able to deliver these projects so communities are seeing the benefits of this investment every time they get behind the wheel. Even small projects can make a big difference on the roads people use every day.”
Mr Layzell continued, saying in round three, councils will be able to apply for up to $3 million for a single road project and up to $1 million for packages of small road projects.
“All successful projects will be completed within two years to ensure local communities are safer, and see the benefits as quickly as possible,” Mr Layzell concluded.
Information for councils on how to apply for funding, as well as the Program Guidelines for Round 3 of the Fixing Local Roads Program can be found on the Fixing Local Roads Program webpage nswroads.work/fixinglocalroads.
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