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FAIR BLOCK GRANT FUNDING
Same road. Same traffic. Different funding.
Dungog Shire Council is responsible for maintaining an extensive road network that carries local residents, commuters, freight and visitors across our Shire and into neighbouring local government areas.
But the funding we receive to maintain these roads is significantly less than our neighbours receive for adjoining sections of the same road carrying the same traffic.
Through the NSW Government’s Block Grant funding, Dungog Shire receives $11,523 per kilometre. By comparison:
> Port Stephens receives $19,611 per kilometre - around 70% more.
> Maitland receives $23,366 per kilometre - more than double Dungog’s allocation.
And while Dungog is responsible for 123 kilometres of these roads, Maitland maintains just 19 kilometres and Port Stephens 56 kilometres.
How did we get here?
Changes to road classifications in the 1990s fundamentally changed the way roads were funded across NSW. State Roads became fully funded by the NSW Government, while responsibility for other roads was transferred to councils with only partial State Government funding provided through funding mechanisms including the Block Grant.
Dungog Shire did not receive a State Road and remains the only local government area in NSW without one. The result is a funding model that does not adequately reflect the significant road maintenance responsibilities carried by our small rural council.
Why does it matter?
When Council doesn’t receive sufficient funding to properly maintain these roads, deterioration continues. Potholes become pavement failures. Minor repairs become major rehabilitation projects. And the longer essential work is delayed, the more expensive it becomes to fix.
That places even greater pressure on Council’s limited resources and ultimately affects the communities, businesses, farmers, freight operators and visitors who rely on our road network every day.
We’re not asking for special treatment. We’re asking for a fair go.
We're calling for the road funding formula to be reviewed so that funding more fairly reflects the scale, use and maintenance needs of our road network.
Same road. Same traffic. Fair funding. It’s time to fix the funding formula.
In this video, Mayor Digby Rayward explains the Block Grants and how Dungog Shire is being unfiarly disadvantaged.
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