Local councils across Australia will this week receive advice of their allocation under the Australian Government’s Roads to Recovery program.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss announced he will be advising each local government authority of its share of the Australian Government’s $2.1 billion injection into Roads to Recovery over the 2014 15 to 2018-19 period.
“This year, the Australian Government is allocating $350 million to councils under Roads to Recovery.
“We are also making good on our commitment to double Roads to Recovery funding next year, to $700 million, which we announced in the 2014 Federal Budget.
“This will greatly assist local councils in being able to meet local construction and repair needs.”
Mr Truss said councils would be able to lodge their Roads to Recovery annual report for 2013-14 and their new projects for 2014-15 next month.
“Lodgement in October will allow associated payments under the new Roads to Recovery programme to be made this November.
“This aligns with the usual quarterly reporting and payment regime and means that only one-quarter has been delayed as a result of Labor and The Greens’ unnecessary five-month delay in passing the legislation required for the programme.
“The Australian Government will make up the lost allocation to councils this financial year to ensure no council is out-of-pocket.
“I can also confirm that for the life of the 2014-15 to 2018-19 Roads to Recovery period, the minimum amount of their own funds that councils must direct to road construction and maintenance each year to access their Roads to Recovery allocation will be anchored at 2013-14 levels.”
