More than $296 million has flowed to regional New South Wales councils to repair roads and transport infrastructure damaged by natural disasters in just three months.
The money was delivered between April and June, after the NSW Government announced the delivery of a series of new pilot funding agreements between councils, the NSW Reconstruction Authority and Transport for NSW.
Before the introduction of Tripartite Agreements, councils were required to spend their own money to repair infrastructure before they could reimbursed with the disaster funding, which has come from the Australian and NSW Governments through Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
In March, eight councils signed up to the NSW Government’s new disaster funding Tripartite Agreement pilot, enabling them to access advance funding at the beginning of each stage of reconstruction works.
The NSW Government claims the Tripartite Agreements mean less financial pressure on councils, faster repairs for communities after natural disasters and better collaboration between state and local government agencies.
“When a region is hit by a natural disaster, the last thing councils need to worry about is coming up with the cash to restore essential road and transport infrastructure,” said NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully.
“The new pilot agreement the NSW Government has struck with councils will now help more councils get on with the job faster, knowing they have the funds they will so desperately need.”
According to NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Disaster Recovery and Member for Lismore, Janelle Saffin, the Tripartite Agreement pilot is a major advance in disaster recovery.
“It’s a first in that local councils get money upfront and don’t have to wait months or years for funding,” she said.
“It also means that all parties signed up to the agreements clearly understand and adhere to an assessment and acquittals process.”
Following the success of the initial pilot Tripartite Agreements, the NSW Government has signed up eight more councils under tranche two of the program to help them unlock faster funding, with another three in the process of signing up.
The councils already finalised include:
Blue Mountains City Council
Cabonne Shire Council
Weddin Shire Council
Forbes Shire Council
Lachlan Shire Council
Parkes Shire Council
Shoalhaven City Council
Tenterfield Shire Council
With the State Government’s record-breaking investment in this year’s budget of $3.3 billion for natural disaster road recovery, NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Jenny Aitchison, said faster support is on the way for flood affected councils.
“Prior to the 2022 natural disasters, state budgets only allocated around $190 million per year for disaster recovery for roads,” she said.
“It is fantastic that the Minns Labor Government has rolled out more than $296 million in just three months.”
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