Following its joint campaign with The Hills Shire Council and Hawksbury City Council for funds to repair potholes, Hornsby Shire Council has welcomed the pledge by the NSW Premier of $500 million to repair flood damaged roads across the state.
Hornsby Shire Mayor Philip Ruddock said the extreme weather events of 2022 were unprecedented and resulted in significant damage to roads across Hornsby Shire, particularly in the rural areas, and that he is grateful to the NSW Government for its commitment to help.
“While we have been proactive in responding to reports of road damage to ensure safe travel for our residents, we have already expended much of the $3.2 million we had allocated for road restoration this financial year. We anticipate that a further $3-5 million is needed to address road failures,” said Mayor Ruddock.
“Following numerous representations to the State Government seeking funding for flood and rain damage, including damage to our local roads, we are pleased that the Premier has listened to us and has committed significant funding to help remediate the severe pothole damage across NSW.
“We look forward to hearing more details about the grant scheme so that we can move quickly to ensure Hornsby Shire can take the appropriate steps to ensure it receives its share of the $500 million to repair its damaged roads.”
Last year, council responded to thousands of reports of potholes across the shire, made significant repairs to roads at Wisemans Ferry, Arcadia, Canoelands and Glenorie and continues to address road failures. Council will liaise with State Government to determine eligibility and details of the funding and make its application accordingly.
