Two Bathurst road projects receive funding through Fixing Local Roads Program

Local member and Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole was joined in Bathurst on Wednesday by Federal Member for Calare Andrew Gee, NSW Member of the Legislative Council Sam Farraway and Transport for NSW's Alistair Lunn to announce the $150 million investment into local roads.

Under round two of the Fixing Local Roads Program, 100 new road upgrades will be carried out in NSW, which will create 1000 jobs in the process and make regional roads safer.

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More than $15.5 million will be spent on nine projects in the Central West.

"Normally the Federal Government and the State Government don't invest in local roads, but this is about supporting councils to deal with their infrastructure backlog on local roads," Mr Toole said.

"This is a real partnership to really drive that activity in the local communities."

Bathurst Regional Council was successful in its applications for $387,930 to resurface Piper Street and $182,000 to reconstruct Lambert Street.

Council's general manager, David Sherley, said these projects were put forward as there was a need to improve infrastructure, safety and traffic movement through Bathurst, and to address the asset backlog.

Mayor Bobby Bourke said the Fixing Local Roads Program was very important for Bathurst.

"The injection of this funding into our roads from both federal and state [governments] is really appreciated," he said.

"Councils do struggle to maintain a lot of these roads. We have a big backlog of projects to do and I'm looking forward to rounds three and four to get our streets right up to the standard they should be."

Rounds three, four and five of the program will be entirely state government funded and Bathurst council has already got projects it plans to put forward when applications open.

As a condition of the funding, all projects must be started in the next few months and will need to be completed within two years.

"All around our region we are going to see the benefits of these projects," Mr Gee said.

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