Message from the Mayor: 18 November 2022

There is unfortunately a lot of misinformation being disseminated on social media and in the community with respect to Council's roadworks funding. Council back on 7 May 2021, was the beneficiary of a political announcement in the course of the by-election campaign for the electorate of Upper Hunter. At that time, the then Deputy Premier and then Minister for Regional Roads, announced a special purpose grant for Dungog Shire to have $25 million.

They also announced the Council had to work with Transport for New South Wales to work out a schedule of works to be carried out utilizing those monies. From that time until the 25 November 2021, Council worked with Transport for New South Wales, initially determining a methodology to be applied and then applying that methodology to determine the segments of road which would benefit from the $25 million. That schedule of roads went to Council, in October 2021 and was adopted, and that then led to Transport for New South Wales executing a funding agreement on the 25th of November 2021.

Until a funding agreement is executed Council can't spend any money. If it does, it will not be reimbursed. So immediately following the funding agreement Council commenced action in organizing the necessary design work, which requires survey work, geotechnical investigations, and a review of environmental factors that then lead to the design being carried out. The designs were in the main carried out by contractors and regrettably contracts were let in April of this year, and Council is still waiting for the designs for road segments. In one other case, Council is doing the design itself.

The segments of road that were adopted to be the beneficiary of the money were:

Webber’s Creek Road which will be sealed in December, next month, a section of Bingleburra Road leading to Allyn River Road, which has been completed, two sections of Stroud Hill Road which is anticipated Council will commence work on during this financial year, but as I said earlier designs are still awaited Park Street at Gresford and Durham Road at Gresford is to go out to tender in the very near future, and Park Street is anticipated Council will commence in February 2023.

Those are the roads that were to be done this financial year. And I say they are the roads for this financial year because the funding as agreed by Transport for New South Wales was to be delivered on the basis of $1 million between November 2021, when the agreement was executed, and June 2022. And then $6 million for each of the following four years.

The current program for the current financial year is currently on track to be delivered so it's quite untrue for people to suggest the Council is not carrying out the works as envisaged by the Special Purpose Grant. Council is doing it, Council has been delayed by contractors, Council has been delayed by weather, by the supply of materials, and these are delays that every council throughout New South Wales is experiencing at the moment. Staff shortages, contract shortages and material shortages. They're not particular to Dungog Shire.

The enormous amount of money that has been handed out by the state and federal government over the last four years or so, to all Councils has resulted in enormous demand, for pipes and gravel and other materials, including lime for stabilizing and an enormous demand for contractors and labour. That has pushed up prices and continues to do so and it's for that reason that Council’s utilizing a mixture of contractors where it can get them and its own workforce, in other instances where it can carry out the work itself at times at a far more reasonable rate than engaging contractors.

I hope that goes some way to explaining the terms of the grant and the way that Council is applying it over, and I emphasize over, a four year period with the initial lead period of about seven months. So we're not behind. We're doing as we're required to do in accordance with the agreement with transport for New South Wales. And it's not, as is portrayed, a situation where all of a sudden the government gave us a check for $25 million. That didn't occur and doesn't occur. What we've got is an agreement to reimburse us for $6 million a year over the next four years. And that's what we will do.

So, until next week, drive carefully drive slowly on the roads and noting that there's potholes, and I'll speak to you next week.