NSW Labor is calling on the NSW Liberal National Government to immediately release the Regional Road Transfer and NSW Road Classification Review which has been sitting on the Minister’s desk since 8 November 2022.
 
One of the Government’s key election promises in 2019 was to transfer 15,000km of local regional roads to the state before the last election.
 
To date the number of kilometres of regional roads transferred back to the state is – zero.
 
Another broken promise from a government that is big on announcements, but failures to deliver every time.
 
The state of our roads, especially rural and regional is appalling and downright dangerous. Major flooding has ripped up roads and caused serious potholes across major road networks.
 
But this should never have been left to councils to fix in the first place.
 
If the roads were transferred, it would have help to make sure they are properly maintained by the state when it comes to potholes and roads destroyed by natural disasters.
 
Time is up for this Government – they need to release the report today.
 
NSW Shadow Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Jenny Aitchison said:
 
“This was the Nationals’ 2019 signature regional roads election commitment – and they’ve delivered a donut.
 
“Not a single kilometre of regional road has been transferred to the state.
 
“The people of regional communities are right to ask – what does the Regional Roads Minister actually do?
 
“Release the report today – it’s not good enough to have an independent review, and to have it collecting dust in the Minister’s intray.”
 
NSW Shadow Minister for Roads, John Graham said:
 
“This is a tired, 12 year old Government that is failing to do what they said they would do.
 
“A signature 2019 election promise – and 4 years later – broken.
 
“Yet here we go again, on the eve of an election and there’s a new promise. They haven’t delivered on it, and they won’t deliver on it now.
 
“It’s why we need a fresh start for NSW.”

DATE: TUESDAY, 3 JANUARY 2023