Farmers, local government and the transport sector want the Albanese government to urgently fund repairs to major road networks around the country.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers is facing calls from farmers and local government for a $5.5 billion road funding package in the May budget, after record rainfall and flooding leaves key transport routes seriously degraded., the Australian Local Government Association and Livestock and Rural Transporters Association are urging Labor to address damage across hundreds of thousands of kilometres of roads around the country.
“We’re already seeing recently repaired roads crumbling. It’s thrown a challenging grain harvest into disarray as farmers and transporters struggle to move grain from paddock to port.” “We’re looking for a substantial, long-term commitment. We can’t be left driving on decimated roads once the politicians and news cameras move onto the next disaster.”
Local councils are responsible for more than three-quarters of Australia’s roads by length, about 678,000 kilometres around the country. A 2021 assets report found about 8 per cent of sealed roads were in poor condition or had reduced function and capacity.Linda Scott, a City of Sydney councillor and president of the Australian Local Government Association, said extreme weather required a shift in the way roads were planned and maintained in Australia.
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