Wollondilly Council has been campaigning for a number of years to see the reclassification of Wollondilly’s regional roads as State Roads; specifically, the top three major connecting roads in the Shire – Remembrance Driveway, Menangle Road and Silverdale Road.
So it was music to their ears last week when Independent candidate Judith Hannan said that reclassifying these roads was “an absolute easy fix” and committed to having the entirety of Remembrance Driveway, Menangle Road and Silverdale Road within Wollondilly reclassified within 18 months if she is elected.
“I welcome this commitment from Judith Hannan to having our regional roads reclassified if she is elected, and call on all candidates for the NSW election to make the same pledge,” Wollondilly Mayor Matt said,
Liberal candidate Nathaniel Smith has committed to continue working with Council and continuing the efforts he has made throughout the current term of government to advocate for key roads within the Shire to be made State roads.
Labor Candidate Angus Braiden and Greens Candidate Jason Webster and One Nation Candidate Rebecca Thompson have all expressed strong support for key roads within the Shire being made State roads, but have not made a formal policy commitment at this time.
Cr Gould said that reclassification of these regional roads would make the NSW Government responsible for funding their maintenance and repairs, which would allow Council to redirect the significant amount of its roads budget that currently gets spent on these roads into other local roads across the Shire that badly need work.
“We currently have a situation where main roads like Remembrance Driveway and Menangle Road are State-managed roads in neighbouring local government areas, but magically become Council managed roads as soon as they enter Wollondilly,” Cr Gould said.
“We are asking to be treated the same as our neighbours.”
