Outback Graziers Join Forces to Fix Remote NSW Roads

Graziers in the Far West of New South Wales are set to play a crucial role in repairing remote roads that have been closed due to recent flooding. The initiative, launched by Transport for New South Wales, aims to hire local landholders as contractors to help fix the region's vast network of unsealed roads.

Local Businesses Impacted

The decision comes as local businesses continue to feel the impact of ongoing road closures. Samantha and Richard Maiden, owners of Mt Gipps Station, estimate they have lost more than a quarter of their annual business due to the closures. Their sheep station, which also offers farm-stay accommodation, has been affected by the mainly dirt roads being closed on and off for more than five months due to 25 millimetres of rain this year.

"It's decimated the tourist business," Ms Maiden said. "We would be running at about 80 per cent down compared to this time last year."

The couple estimates they lost about $60,000 in revenue after having to cancel reservations with guests unable to get in on flooded roads.

New Initiative

Craig Matthews, director of regional road network maintenance for the west region, said the initiative aims to speed up road repairs in the Far West. "The big challenge is we have 2,800km of unsealed road networks," he said. "It's a very vast network of roads."

Landholders wishing to become contractors will be paid hourly market rates through a tender process and will have to cover their own initial registration costs.

Concerns About Red Tape

However, graziers believe red tape is slowing road repairs because a trained spotter or safety supervisor must be present. Mr Matthews said, "We need to keep people safe, and we don't want people operating by themselves."

Ms Maiden said it was "disrespectful" for TfNSW to think graziers did not already have the knowledge and safety requirements to work by themselves with their own workers. She suggested an "emergency response tender situation" where graziers who have the right equipment could be called upon to fix roads within 100km of them.

"We just want the road open. We don't want to make a billion dollars from it, [but] we need to be reimbursed for the costs and the time," she said.

Mr Maiden said he would like to see the red tape cut, but graziers would likely resort to doing the work to fix roads by themselves, and another worker spotting, if the wait was months. "I know they've got to have all the rules and regulations, but it gets to a point that [if] they make it that hard, nothing gets done."