Road and Maritime Services (RMS) has urged Councils to have their say on the biggest review of the State’s road network in more than a decade.
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Paul Toole said the NSW Road Classification Review and Transfer project, led by an independent expert panel, would lay the foundations for a safe and modern road network for generations to come.
“It’s about assessing whether the current road classification framework is still fit for purpose as well as identifying up to 15,000 kilometres of Council-managed roads in rural and regional areas to hand back to the State, easing the burden on local ratepayers,” Mr Toole said.
“The Terms of Reference and Information Paper for the project have now been established and the Independent Panel is ready to consult with Councils, industry and communities,” he said.
Mr Toole said identifying which roads should be transferred to the State Government was a complex process.
Chair of the Independent Panel, Wendy Machin said an Information Paper had been prepared to set out the division between Local, Regional and State Roads.
“This paper looks at how our road network is managed, maintained, funded and categorised,” Ms Machin said.
“To allow us to make informed and meaningful recommendations, we’ll be entering into a conversation with our biggest road managers – local Councils – and other stakeholders and road users to find out how we can best manage our roads into the future,” she said.
The Panel is expected to deliver an interim report and recommendation of priority road transfers by the end of this year.
Further information on the Panel’s consultation schedule and how to make a submission can be accessed on the Transport for NSW website at this PS News link.
