Clarence and Richmond Valley Councils are set for an immediate further road repair boost thanks to a new $50 million injection from the Nationals in NSW Government, Clarence Nationals MP Chris Gulaptis has announced.

“The floods and continued wet weather this year have been brutal on local roads and councils are struggling to keep up with the backlog, but this new cash for potholes will help deliver safer roads sooner,” Mr Gulaptis said.

“This is an emergency initiative and local councils have just two weeks to apply because we want to shovel out the funds before Christmas.

“Regional motorists feel abandoned by Canberra Labor’s recent 22 cent a litre hike to fuel taxes and find it hard to understand why they should pay an extra $20 a tank to drive on a substandard road network.”

Under the new Fixing Local Roads Pothole Repair Round, local government authorities in flood hit areas can apply for funding to help them address their highest priority pothole repairs.

The new funding builds on the $500 million invested by the NSW Government through the Fixing Local Roads program to help regional councils repair, maintain and seal local roads across the state.

Funding under the Fixing Local Roads Pothole Repair Round is available to 95 regional councils and authorities to help repair potholes on regional and local roads. Work must be completed between 1 January 2023 and 1 January 2024.