The New England North West region has coped a drenching in the last week, showing up damage which proves it's not only the coastal roads coming off worse for wear.
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Yet in a beam of hope, Armidale, Glen Innes and Tenterfield will each receive a share of $1 million in funding to address urgent and immediate operational challenges, and establish a working capital fund to supplement flood and disaster recovery.
Glen Innes Severn Council's road maintenance crews have what seems like a daunting, endless task list ahead of them for many weeks to come.
Especially with so many long stretches of unsealed rural roads, including important connecting roads, rectifying damage throughout the length and breadth of the Local Government Area.
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The damage in other shires across the region is yet to be revealed, with several roads in the Inverell Shire still closed off by water.
Those roads - as on Thursday March 31 - include Wells Crossing at the Severn, Keetah Road, Twin Rivers (Dumaresq River Crossing), Cunningham Weir Road, Camp Creek - Dumaresq River crossing, Bonshaw Weir Rd, Bonshaw, McLachlans Lane, Brodies Plains at the Macintyre River, Dinton Vale Road at the Macintyre River, Arrawatta Road at the Macintyre River.
Glen Innes council's Infrastructure Services director Keith Appleby said no matter how prepared they are and how on schedule their works program is, "the weather patterns have caused Council numerous roadworks delays."
"There's just no strategic planning umbrella big enough to accommodate what we are experiencing, and we have to fix each roadworks issue as it comes into focus as soon as and as best as we can," he said.
Council asks motorists to exercise patience, care and caution on the local roads, and in particular on unsealed rural roads affected by prolonged episodes of rain.
Boost to fix efforts
Local councils have received a one-off, million-dollar grant for restoration and recovery projects following the recent flood disaster.
Armidale, Glen Innes and Tenterfield will each receive the funding to address urgent and immediate operational challenges, and establish a working capital fund to supplement flood and disaster recovery.
The Glen Innes Severn Council is currently in talks with the Office of Local Government to determine the most appropriate use of their funding for the community.
Local Government NSW president Darriea Turley AM said she was extremely happy to see more funding for the hardest-hit councils on top of the nearly $1 billion in emergency response and relief funding already provided.
"Our councils have been working non-stop during the floods and now during the challenging clean-up.
"Councils are the closest form of government to their communities and play a vital role in everyday life of regional and rural areas.
"This extra funding is desperately needed by regional councils to shorten the length of the recovery process.
"It is particularly pleasing to see that water and sewerage infrastructure has been recognised as critical infrastructure and provided with recovery funding.
"This infrastructure has previously been excluded from funding. LGNSW has persistently advocated for its inclusion, and it is a positive step in the right direction."