Roads to Recovery funding boost for New England Electorate

19 Aug 2016

 

The Deputy Prime Minister and Member for New England, Barnaby Joyce said funding under the Australian Government’s Roads to Recovery Programme has been distributed to five councils in the New England Electorate to assist with local road construction and maintenance.

 

“Local Government Areas nationwide received a share of more than $100 million in Australian Government funding, including $1,884,491 in the New England Electorate,” he said.

 

Mr Joyce said five councils in the Electorate had received Roads to Recovery payments, including:

 

Gwydir Shire Council $803,390

Inverell Shire Council $506,863

Tamworth Regional Council $251,166

Upper Hunter Shire Council $260,888

Uralla Shire Council $62,184

New England Total $1,884,491

 

“Councils use Roads to Recovery funding to upgrade roads chosen by council, ensuring that local knowledge selects the best local road projects,” he said.

 

The Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester said the 2016 Budget extended the Roads to Recovery Programme, and provided an additional $50 million per annum from 2019-20 onwards, bringing the annual commitment to $400 million.

 

“This is the Australian Government making good on election promises by continuing to support programmes that deliver funding exactly where it’s needed based on local knowledge,” Mr Chester said. 

 

“Councils across the country have so far used Roads to Recovery funding to repair and upgrade more than 53,500 road sites.”

 

“The Australian Government will distribute $3.2 billion to councils nationwide between 2014–15 and 2018–19 under the Roads to Recovery Programme to support maintenance of the nation’s local road network and improve road safety,” Mr Chester said.

 

Roads to Recovery payments are made quarterly on the basis of a progress and expenditure report submitted by each council, therefore not all councils will receive a payment every quarter.

 

More information on the programme is available online at www.infrastructure.gov.au

 

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