Clarence Valley Council is urging the NSW Government to follow through on its agreement to transfer Armidale Road to Regional Road status.
The decision to seek a response from the Honourable Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jennifer Aitchison was one of four Mayoral Minutes adopted at the Ordinary Council Meeting held at Maclean Council Chambers on Tuesday, 22 August.
All four motions proposed by Mayor Ian Tiley received unanimous support from his fellow councillors.
PICTURED: Transport for NSW assisted Clarence Valley Council by carrying out full width reconstruction of 5.25km of Armidale Road in 2022underthe Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA). Council is currently responsible for the maintenance of the 107.64km stretch of road. Photo: CVC
1. Regional Road Classification of Armidale Road
Clarence Valley Council will write tothe Honourable Minister for Regional Transport and RoadsJennifer Aitchison to seeka timely decision regarding the transfer of management of 107.64km of Armidale Road to Transport for NSW (TfNSW).
Council submitted the original transfer application in September 2021 after th eformer Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Pool Toole reiterated the 2019 election commitment to “lighten the load on regional councils by taking back roads better suited to management by the State”.
Council received in principle support in December 2021, and proceeded to work through the implementation program with TfNSW. However, there has been no further progresssince the change in government in March.
PICTURED: One of the constraints of the proposed transfer of management of Armidale Road was for Council to complete any outstanding grant funded projects, including the recently completed Coutts Crossing Bridges under the Fixing Country Bridges Program (pictured). Since early 2023, Council has lobbied to remove the requirement for all such works to be completed prior to the formal transfer and instead work towards an agreed handover date. Photo: CVC
2. Support for Country Mayors Association’s ‘Critical Priorities for Regional and Rural Communities submission’
The Country Mayors Association (CMA) has called on the NSW Government to address critical priorities for regional and rural communities ahead of the September 2023 Budget. The CMA will present a document that lists the following top five priorities:
- Financial sustainability
- Housing
- Labour
- Transport and roads
- Health
“We have been hit with escalating costs at every turn, and we have suggested ways this could be addressed, such as continuing extremely popular grant programs like the Stronger Country Communities, Resources for Regions, Fixing Local Roads, Fixing Country Bridges, Safe and Secure Water, and Connecting Country Communities programs,” the CMA stated.
For example, to meet the challenges of housing, the CMA is seeking commitment to a Building Country Homes Program that would help the 84 members councils increase available housing stock.
3. Increase in rate rebate for pensioners
Council will make representations to the NSW Government for an increase in the State Government Pensioner Rate Rebate to eligible pensioners to reflect Consumer Price Index (CPI) increases since the rebate amounts were established, and to provide annual CPI increases in future years.
“For almost three decades … concession amounts have remained unchanged and have not been indexed for inflation,” Mayor Tiley said.
The current rebates are as follows:
- $250 on ordinary council rates and charges for domestic waste management services
- $87.50 on annual water rates and charges
- $87.50 on annual sewerage rates and charges
4. Constitutional protection from privatisation of regional water utilities
Council will support the Country Mayors Association’s representations to the NSW Government to ensure that regional water utilities are retained in public ownership and included in the Constitution Amendment Bill.
Mayor Tiley said safeguarding water utility assets “from the whims of future governments of the day” was a vitally important matter.
“One has only to recall the loss of the people’s electricity assets in the 1990s, where the government took over those assets and then privatised them,” he said.
Earlier this year a bill was successfully introduced to the NSW Parliament to ensure continued public ownership of the Sydney Water Corporation and Hunter Water Corporation. However, regional water utilities were notably omitted and a subsequent amendment to include regional utilities was rejected.
Shadow Water Minister Stephanie Cooke has lodged a Notice of Motion to introduce the Constitution Amendment (Water NSW and Local Water Utilities) Bill 2023 to rectify water supply protection so that local water utilities throughout regional NSW will also be protected from privatisation.
