Applications are now open for the $32 million Regional Transport Resilience Fund (RTRF) to help four Central West New South Wales councils to rebuild their transport infrastructure to be more resilient to extreme weather events.
The RTRF is jointly funded by the Federal and State Governments to assist betterment work in the worst hit local government areas of the Central West:
- Cabonne
- Forbes
- Lachlan
- Parkes
Transport for NSW and the NSW Reconstruction Authority started working with eligible councils earlier in 2024 to identify opportunities for betterment projects and support councils to make submissions which are due by 31 May.
The RTRF package is part of the recently announced joint Federal and State Government $100 million Central West Recovery and Resilience Package.
The RTRF will see vital transport infrastructure like bridges and flood crossings replaced and roads improved.
This program focuses on building back better to ensure communities across the Central West are better prepared in the face of future disasters.
Federal Special Envoy for Disaster Recovery, Senator Tony Sheldon, said that the Federal Government is committed to working with the New South Wales Government to make sure communities in the state are more prepared for increasingly intense and frequent severe weather events in the future, so they can respond effectively and recover quicker.
“Betterment work ensures that assets like roads and bridges are built back to an improved standard, helping Central West communities to bounce back faster after severe weather events,” Senator Sheldon said.
“By investing now to improve the quality and durability of transport infrastructure, we reduce the need to close roads and important access routes, as well as the time it takes to clear debris and rebuild communities, each time severe weather hits.”
New South Wales Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Jenny Aitchison, said that the 2022 floods in the Central West had a catastrophic impact on local government transport infrastructure, impacting a geographical area of about 11,000km, severing critical emergency access and community service connections, and causing extensive damage.
“These works will help reduce future costs of repairs to road and transport assets damaged by natural disasters, as well as improving safety, asset utility and connectivity during, and after natural disasters,” Ms Aitchison said.
“Research shows that for every dollar invested in risk mitigation and betterment, up to $10 is saved in recovery.”