ROADS are vital to our everyday life.
Whether it’s getting to work, school, or the local shops, we all rely on safe, well-maintained roads.
We know roads are the most important issue for our community – we’ve heard it through our Community Satisfaction Survey, Liveability Survey and as Councillors out and about in our community.
Earlier this year, we announced the Roads Acceleration Program (RAP), a $20 million investment over three years to repair and upgrade roads across our community.
This is the biggest investment ever in our roads, supported by the Council’s budget, the Special Rate Variation, and grants from State and Federal Governments.
But even with this significant investment, we know there’s still more to do.
Years of limited funding, rising construction costs, and damage from weather events have left a big backlog of repairs.
Our roads aren’t up to the standard the community deserves – we need to act quickly to catch up.
That’s why this month, Council approved an extra $9 million to boost road repairs across Port Stephens.
We’ve worked hard to find ways to boost funding for this program without placing additional pressure on ratepayers. We’re using funds from our Natural Disaster Reserve – created to help recover from storms and floods – and planning to sell surplus land.
We’ll begin the necessary legislative process to sell these properties and make sure all proceeds will be reinvested into our Roads Acceleration Program.
The roads to be repaired as part of this additional funding have been identified by our elected representatives and prioritised based on their condition, use, and community feedback.
Some of the upgrades planned for 2025/2026 are in Raymond Terrace, Corlette, Medowie, and Salt Ash.
We’re also continuing to seek grant funding and will explore every opportunity to secure additional funds for the RAP.
Our community deserves a reliable road network – we’re doing everything we can to make that happen, as better roads mean a stronger, safer Port Stephens for everyone.
By Leah ANDERSON, Mayor of Port Stephens Council
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