NSW floods: Sydney mayors lobby NSW Government for metropolitan council road repair program

Mayors across Sydney’s outer reaches have put party differences aside to demand the NSW Government provide more funding to repair roads and potholes after relentless rain.

2022 Mayors calling for more funding left to right (L-R): Hills Mayor Peter Gangemi, Hawkesbury Mayor Sarah McMahon, Hornsby Mayor Philip Ruddock

Mayors across Sydney’s outer reaches are putting party differences aside to fight for desperately needed funding from the state government to repair damaged infrastructure after the floods which devastated their regions earlier this year.

The NSW Government announced in October that it would provide $50m to help regional and rural councils fix the increasing number of potholes that were brought on by the record-breaking rain, but that was not offered to metropolitan councils.

Councils on the outer edges of Sydney — stretching from Wollondilly, to Blacktown City, to Hawkesbury — did not receive similar amounts of funding and the Hills Shire Mayor Peter Gangemi is leading the call for a metropolitan council road repairs program.

Speaking about the staggering costs northwest Sydney endured due to the persistent wet weather and flooding, Mayor Gangemi said his council desperately needs more money to carry out road repairs and fix potholes.

“Just like our rural regions, the Hills Shire has also been affected by persistent wet weather systems over a three-year period,” Mayor Gangemi said.

Cattai Rd in the Hills Shire was inundated with flooding in 2022.

Flooding at Wolseley Rd, McGraths Hill, part of Blacktown City Council. Picture: Ben Talintyre

“On top of this, our residents have endured four major flooding disasters in the spate of 16 months and our roads are deteriorating much quicker than our modelling could have predicted under a third consecutive La Nina. Despite about two-thirds of our Shire being considered rural, we are still not eligible to apply for this funding.”

The Mayor of Hawkesbury City Council Sarah McMahon — a region which includes some of outer Sydney’s worst hit areas along the Hawkesbury River — said even though she understands the dire needs of regional and rural councils, metropolitan areas are also in need of greater financial support.

Road signs are seen submerged under floodwater along the Hawkesbury River near the Windsor Bridge. Picture: Jenny Evans.

“After six floods in three years, roads in the Hawkesbury and right across Sydney are in dire need of co-ordinated and well-funded assistance from the government,” Mayor McMahon said.

“Our thoughts are with the LGAs and residents out west as they battle their own current flood crisis, but back here in Sydney we have councils that have been struggling for more than two years now to manage crumbling road networks, and flood evacuation routes that are not fit for purpose,” she added.

“Without assistance to recover and future-proof these networks, millions of motorists will continue to be put at risk every day.”

Across the other side of Sydney’s outer regions, the Mayor of Wollondilly Shire Council Matt Gould is also joining the call for more assistance from the state government, highlighting his region plays a major role as a gateway to other major cities.

“Wollondilly is the southern gateway to regional NSW and is relied on as the major connection from Sydney to Goulburn, Canberra and the Illawarra,” Mayor Gould said.

“In light of this, we are calling on the NSW Government to urgently give us access to funding to get these potholes fixed.”