Bathurst councillor Warren Aubin calls for state and federal governments to address regional roads

Bathurst Regional councillor, Warren Aubin, a driving instructor with 26 years' experience who is also on council's road traffic committee (which is tasked with improving road safety and quality within the Bathurst local government area), says regional communities need to know the NSW Government's plan for fixing the roads.

He says the region's roads, in their current state, will result in unnecessary deaths.

"They are not safe," he said.

Cr Aubin last week raised the problem of regional road conditions and is now asking the government to tell regional NSW how it is going to fix it.

He drove from Bathurst to Dubbo and back last week and said it was the worst driving experience he had ever had.

"The road is horrendous," he said.

"There are so many potholes, it is so dangerous: you have cars and trucks going on the wrong side of the road.

"I was experiencing cars and trucks come over the centre line while we were approaching. It's a huge accident waiting to happen. It was horrible, and the worst drive I've ever had."

Cr Aubin said he knows that speaking out on the region's roads will generate comments from people.

"They will say 'why doesn't he concentrate on Bathurst roads?'.

"I'll admit we do have problems with our roads. But visiting Orange and Dubbo, I can say they have just as bad if not worse road conditions in the centre of their towns, so we are all in the same boat there."

He said the region's arterial roads were woeful.

"I'm not pointing the finger at the government for the condition that the road is in; we all know we've had so much rain, which is the absolute enemy of any road," he said.

"I'm not laying the blame on anyone for that. What I am trying to find out is what is the future for our regional roads.

"What is the plan to actually get them back to a safe level?

"At the moment, they are far from safe. In fact, they are totally unsafe and they will cause death the way they are."

He said there are roadworks going on out near Molong and things are so bad that road crews will have to be working on the situation 24/7.

"It really is that bad. It's a horrible situation. That road, the Mitchell Highway, is a major highway. When you're driving that road and the trucks are coming towards you, they do the right thing and dip their lights, but once you dip your lights, you cannot see what's coming.

"It's just so dangerous.

"The condition of the roads is a big problem, and as far as the conversation we need to have with the government, the time has come to formulate a long-term plan.

"It's no longer filling potholes. The verges are crap, the road is crap.

"It's not the government's fault, but what are they going to do to fix it?

"I've heard from different people that the road between Bathurst and Cowra is absolutely woeful as well. There was a crew out there Monday filling them [potholes] up.

"That's a good temporary fix. But what is going to happen long term? What's the plan and, more importantly, what's the time factor?

"Our roads are in a dilapidated state.

"I know it's going to be a lot of money. Maybe they need to look at the revenue that police, speeding cameras and tolls raise - whatever they're getting in revenue, registration payments of motor vehicles and trucks and fuel exercise, at this point it all has to go back into regional roads."

Asked if he thinks the regions have been neglected by the respective governments, he said they probably have.

"When you look at the drive from Bathurst up to Queensland, if you go up the M1, it's pretty good all the way; there's not too much wrong with that road.

"They have spent millions and millions on that road while our roads are getting worse."

That aside, he said the time for action has come.

"It's to the point now it's crucial, critical that our roads get a decent fix.

"Is there a plan to bring the roads back up to speed? Because it's a really nasty situation.

"Throwing blue metal into holes - that is definitely a Band-Aid fix.

"The next fall of rain, that will be starting to wash out again.

"Regional roads need to be the number one priority for the government because everything is falling apart."

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway said road safety was the government's priority.

"The recent rain has wreaked havoc on our road network and my priority is to ensure everyone travels safely on our road network, which is why I've asked Transport to have crews out straight away to fill potholes when the weather allows," he said.

"Since the February floods we have repaired more than 135,000 potholes on state roads across regional NSW alone. When we have a break in the weather we are getting on with road repairs throughout the Western Plains and Central West.

"On top of this I announced that we are hiring more than 80 new roles to work on our biggest road infrastructure projects, like the Newell Highway upgrade and the Great Western Highway upgrade. The completion of these projects will ensure the central west and western NSW remains connected to the rest of the state during times of natural disasters.

"I am working closely with councils to ascertain what help is needed and where - in some instances councils may require assistance with manpower or technical advice and in others they may require additional funding on top of the significant NSW Government funding already available," he said.