State Govt accelerates $155m funding to repair potholes & roads across NSW

As part of ongoing works to build a better New South Wales, the State Government is accelerating the delivery of $155 million for a pothole and road repair blitz across regional New South Wales. 

The significant funding will increase the investment for state road maintenance to $1.25 billion this financial year, with key works already underway. 

The fast-tracked funding will deliver safer roads from Broken Hill to Bega, ensuring regional communities get a fair share of road maintenance investment. 

This funding is about making regional roads safer, more reliable and fairer because every community deserves roads they can depend on to get to work, school and home. 

“Regional and rural communities deserve their fair share of investment and upgrades to local roads – this announcement is about getting money out the door and boots on the ground sooner rather than later. 

“Following droughts, bushfires and floods we are hearing loud and clear that there needs to be more done to repair damaged roads and keep communities connected in the wake of natural disasters. 

“We’ve made a start, but we know there’s still more to do and that’s what this accelerated funding will help deliver,” Premier Chris Minns said. 

“This is really good news and we warmly thank Minister Aitchison for this significant further investment in our regional, remote and rural communities. 

“Obviously our local citizens will be the ultimate beneficiaries of our Government’s decision to prioritise the road network in the bush, which is effectively our lifeblood,” NSW Country Mayors Association Chair Councillor Rick Firman OAM 

The $155 million investment in 2025/26 will prioritise renewal projects including key corridors that have been under major pressure due to unprecedented weather. 

The projects include: 

• Pavement renewal and resurfacing on major highways such as the New England Highway and Hume Highway 

• Key bridge maintenance and renewal works across regional NSW 

• Continued slope restorations across a number of the east-west corridors such as Waterfall Way, Oxley Highway, and Victoria Pass 

In the past 12 months, maintenance crews have clocked almost four million hours of work carrying out trimming of 53,000 trees for improved safety, repairing 35,000 guideposts as well as refreshing over 280,000 kilometres of line markings. 

Approximately 150 new permanent staff members have been hired, which takes the number of Transport for NSW’s locally based regional maintenance team to more than 2,000 workers. In addition, another 75 regionally based apprentices and trainees will start next year. 

The New South Wales Government continues to invest in regional road infrastructure to help build a stronger, more resilient network for local communities. This builds on reforms to: 

• Put road repair funding in the hands of councils sooner by providing upfront grants – rather than forcing councils to fund the work and then reimburse them. More than one third of regional NSW Councils have already signed up to get funding faster 

• Streamline road recategorisation so councils can apply to transfer roads to state funding responsibility. The previous Liberal-National government promised this reform but failed to deliver it 

• Provide transparent open data on the road network by publishine AusRAP data which gives a condition report for state and regional roads, making NSW the first jurisdiction to do so 

“The people and businesses of NSW rely on our road network, and I’m incredibly proud of the road warriors at Transport for NSW. 

“Long after storms or bushfires pass, recovery continues for our teams, Whether plugging potholes or undertaking massive multi-year infrastructure rebuilds, the work never ends. 

“I want to thank all our frontline road recovery and maintenance crews. Their nearly four million hours of work is an investment in the future of NSW to ensure a safe, strong and reliable network for motorists, commuters and freight operators,” Minister for Roads and Minister for Regional Transport Jenny Aitchison said. 

“Most of the road crews are locals making a critical difference to ensure reliable, safe roads for anyone living, working or travelling in regional NSW. 

“Regional NSW often missed out under the Liberal-National Government which focused its attention on Sydney mega-projects but this Government is redressing the balance,” Minister for Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said. 

Source: NSW Government – Media Releases; Infrastructure Magazine