Dungog Shire Council has welcomed the news that it has been successful in receiving much-needed funding for two of four priority roads submitted under Round 3 of the NSW Government’s ‘Fixing Local Roads’ Program.
Council will receive $643,500 for the rehabilitation of Duke Street, Clarence Town, with a council contribution of $214,500 also being put towards the work.
In addition, council has been awarded $566,775 for the rehabilitation of Queen Street, Clarence Town, with council committing $188,925 to the project.
Unfortunately, applications for essential funding for Fosterton Road and Pinebrush Road were unsuccessful, despite council being ready to make its own substantial financial contribution towards both projects.
Mayor of Dungog Shire, John Connors, says that while council is very grateful to receive vital funding for two key roads in Clarence Town, he was disappointed to hear that the remaining applications had been unsuccessful once again.
“Council is responsible for the maintenance of more than 700 kilometres worth of road network within our shire alone, and we are also the only council in NSW without a state road.
“Improving the condition of our local roads remains one of council’s top priorities, and we know the local community places the same level of importance on it as we do.
“Unfortunately, without adequate funding through programs such as ‘Fixing Local Roads’, it is nearly impossible for us to carry out the required maintenance and upgrades to the degree we know is needed.
“As a result, we have no option other than to continue to seek funding for these two remaining projects in future rounds, and hope that we have better luck next time.”
Council’s General Manager, Gareth Curtis, says he is looking forward to receiving the funding and getting this essential work underway as soon as possible.
“A very high number of grant-funded projects have been awarded across the state during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given all of the lockdowns, Public Health Orders and other restrictions we’ve experienced lately, it has been very difficult for us to secure all of the resources needed to kick-start and manage critical road projects such as these.
“Under the terms of the funding agreement, we also have a limited time to get these projects up and running, and I’m very eager to get the paperwork through so we can get the ball rolling as quickly as we can,” says Mr Curtis.
This is the second time that council’s applications for funding for Fosterton Road and Pinebrush Road have been unsuccessful under the NSW Government’s ‘Fixing Local Roads’ Program.
The details for each application under Round 3 of ‘Fixing Local Roads’ are as follows:
Road | Total Project Cost | Fixing Local Roads Funding | Council Funding | Funding Result |
Duke St, Clarence Town | $858,000 | $643,500 | $214,500 | SUCCESSFUL |
Queen St, Clarence Town | $755,700 | $566,775 | $188,925 | SUCCESSFUL |
Pinebrush Rd, Pinebrush | $1.15M | $862,500 | $287,500 | UNSUCCESSFUL |
Fosterton Rd, Dungog | $1.298M | $973,500 | $324,500 | UNSUCCESSFUL |
