The NSW Government has given 14 councils access to upfront natural disaster recovery payments through new funding arrangements including the shires of Walgett, Coonamble, Warren and Brewarrina.
With 19 other councils already having signed Tripartite Agreements with Transport for NSW and the NSW Reconstruction Authority, the program will give councils the opportunity to receive accelerated funding for repairs to roads and transport infrastructure caused by natural disasters.
Prior to this arrangement, councils were forced to spend money from their own coffers to undertake repairs and afterwards claim the costs back through the Australian and NSW Governments Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, in many cases placing heavy strains on council finances…