The following is an excerpt from a report entitled ‘Council and State Road projects including Natural Disaster funding’ (item 2.4) included in the Agenda of Ordinary Council Meeting for 23 January 2024.

Report purpose

This report is provided to advise of the Australian and New South Wales Government grant funding committed to Central Coast Council in relation to management of the local and regional road network and associated delivery methodologies as well as noting some capital works identified for the state road network being undertaken by Transport for New South Wales.  

Executive Summary

Central Coast Council is responsible for an extensive road and drainage network and is committed to managing and improving our roads, drainage, and associated infrastructure across the entire Central Coast region.  As part of the yearly Capital Works Program, approximately $65M of funding is allocated to undertake road upgrade, road renewal, drainage, pathways, bridges, wharves, slope stabilisation, traffic facilities and unsealed road improvements. Many of the projects being delivered have received grant funding from either the Australian or New South Wales (NSW) Government.  The funding is focused on maintaining and improving the condition of the road network and associated assets.

Substantial grant funding associated with natural disasters is also being received to assist with road restoration works in repairing damage caused by the weather events experienced in 2022.  Council is proactively seeking in the order of $100M in natural disaster funding over the next four years to restore and improve infrastructure resilience. 

In addition to the capital works funding commitments, Council allocates in the order of $35M in operational funding to carry out maintenance of the road and related network, including pothole repairs, clearing drainage, etc.  Recently Council has also received operational grant funding from the NSW Government to assist Council in the repair of our road and related network.

As part of our commitment to delivering an improved road network, road and drainage capital projects which are being delivered this financial year can be viewed at any time by visiting Council’s interactive capital works map which displays capital works across Council’s disciplines.  The map describes project details, budget information and progress of projects via monthly updates. Specific works within individual streets or suburbs can be viewed by simply scrolling through the map, zooming in and clicking on a pin to access the project details.  To view the map, residents may visit: www.centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/council/about-council/current-works-and-projects/capital-works-program.

Council will continue to work with all stakeholders, including the Australian and NSW Governments, to maintain and build upon relationships that assist in the management and efficient delivery of quality outcomes for our community.  Council thanks the Australian and NSW Government for providing funding streams and investing in our local and regional road network through successful grant funding initiatives.

Background

Council is responsible for over 2,000 km’s of road network and 1,100 km’s of drainage and is committed to maintaining and improving our roads and drainage across the entire Central Coast Region.  The Central Coast is a mix of old subdivisions and new greenfield development with many of the older suburbs without infrastructure such as drainage and kerb and gutter along with road pavements designed to standard at that time.  Some of these older subdivisions were not designed to have the road pavement experience to the current level of loading.  As development progresses, additional infrastructure will be provided as part of development consent or through works contained in Development Contribution Plans.  

As part of the yearly Capital Works Program, funding is allocated to undertake road upgrade, road renewal, drainage, pathways, bridges, wharves, slope stabilisation, traffic facilities and unsealed road improvements. The funding is focused on maintaining and improving the condition of the road network and associated assets. The level of renewal funding is based on the expected depreciation across the region. 

In addition to the capital works funding commitments, Council allocates operational funding to carry out maintenance of the road and related network, including pothole repairs, clearing drainage, etc.  

Ongoing severe weather events in February, March and July 2022 impacted Council’s roads and cause dangerous road conditions such as embankment failures, minor landslips, and significant pavement damage. Council is still working through restoration and remediation of these roads and landslip sites following the installation of interim measures to ensure the safety of motorists and residents and to enable the continued use of our road network. Council has been closely liaising with representatives of Transport for NSW (TfNSW) which administers the Disaster Funding Arrangements providing grant funding to investigate and address natural disaster defects and damage including the repair of any damage attributed to the natural disasters experienced across the region.

Council also proactively seeks grant funding from the Australian and New South Wales Governments to assist in the management of the road network. Council has been successful in securing grant funding under several Australian and New South Wales grant funding programs which will see extensive road repair and renewal works undertaken along with road and drainage upgrades and safety improvements.

Report

Council has been successful in securing grant funding under the following Australian and New South Wales grant funding programs which will continue to deliver extensive road repair and renewal works undertaken along with road and drainage upgrades and safety improvements.

Australian Government

Central Coast Roads Package

Council is continuing to deliver a range of grant funded road and drainage upgrade and renewal projects under the Federal Government’s $86.5M Central Coast Roads Package.  To-date Council has delivered 25 of the 29 projects identified in this funding package.

Works are underway in delivering two projects currently under construction with two projects on hold and deferred until the 24-25 financial year. The projects currently under construction include St Huberts Island Safety Fencing and Road and Drainage Upgrade of Del Monte Place, Copacabana.  The deferment of two projects follows the receipt of advice from the Australian Government that a decision was made to defer a portion of the funding allocated to the Central Coast Roads Package, following the independent review of federally funded infrastructure projects.  The projects currently on hold include the Shelly Beach Road upgrade, Empire Bay, and Intersection improvements at Rawson Road and Ocean Beach Road, Woy Woy. Council has been recently advised that the full allocation of $86.5M has been included in the federal budget.

Council is continuing to work with the Federal Government’s funding body to deliver the projects contained within the Central Coast Roads Package.  Council is appreciative of this Australian Government grant funding which is assist Council in in delivering these projects. 

Local Road and Community Infrastructure (LRCI)

Council has secured grant funding across Phase 1, 2, and 3 of the Local Road and Community Infrastructure program totalling over $14.4M to deliver 27 projects including car park improvements, construction of shared pathways, road upgrade and renewal, wharf upgrade and bus stop accessibility improvements. Council has recently accepted a further $4.3M under the Phase 4 allocation, with Council Officers currently identifying priority projects which meet the criteria to be carried out utilising the grant funding under Phase 4.

Council is appreciative of this Australian Government grant funding which is assist Council in in delivering these projects.

$40M Renewal Package

As part of the 2022 Federal Election, the Australian government committed $40M in investment to the upgrade of 1 road and priority renewal of 45 roads across the local government area.
Council actively worked with the Federal Government to ensure that this pending Renewal Package will target road network condition, address some of our poorest condition roads and reduce Council’s Infrastructure Backlog as reported in the Annual Financial Statement.

Council is closely liaising with representatives from the Federal Government and Transport for NSW to progress the agreement in accepting this grant funding. Once grant arrangement has been formally executed, Council will commence scheduling delivery of the projects over a four-year period - it is anticipated that works will commence in the coming months.

This funding is welcomed by the Council as it shows strong alignment with our strategic and asset planning and supports the long-term sustainability of the Central Coast road network.

Investing in our Communities Program and Priority Community Infrastructure Program

The Australian Government has advised that it will deliver on election commitments through a one-off funding round of the new Investing in Our Communities Program and the Priority Community Infrastructure Program. Election commitments up to $5M will be delivered through the Investing in Our Communities Program and commitments over $5M will be delivered through the Priority Community Infrastructure Program.

Council was invited to apply to both of these programs to provide a well-evidenced plan for the viable delivery of these projects. Three applications were made under the Investing in our Communities Program and one under the Priority Community Infrastructure Program.

Council is awaiting receipt of the funding deed from the Federal Government’s to accept the grant funding for all 4 projects. In the meantime, the grant funding has been factored into our Long-Term Financial Plan.  Once grant acceptance has been formalised, Council will commence scheduling delivery of the projects within the grant timeframe - it is anticipated that works will commence in the 2024/25 financial year.

Blackspot Program

Council has recently been successful in securing grant funding under the Australian Government’s Black Spot Program totalling $330,000 to carry out a road safety improvement project at Fagans Road, Lisarow.

Additionally, Council is awaiting advice on the success or otherwise of the most recent application under the Blackspot Program.

This funding is welcomed by Council as it directly addresses locations where serious injury or fatalities are occurring or are at risk of occurring and improves safety on our road network.

Federal Assistance Grant

The Australian Government, under the Financial Assistance Grant program, provides grant funding to Councils. The grant is provided under the Local Government (Financial Assistance) Act 1995. The Financial Assistance Grant program consists of two components, a general-purpose component, and an identified local road component. Both components of this grant are provided to Council and allows grants funds to be spent according to local priorities. For the 2023/24 financial year, Central Coast Council will receive $5,495,982 under the local road component.

Roads to Recovery Program

The Australian Government provides grant funding to Council under the Roads to Recovery Program to support the construction and maintenance of local road infrastructure assets to facilitate accessibility and improve safety, economic and social outcomes.

This program requires Council to spend a minimum of $32M on the construction and/or maintenance of roads from its own source of funds to be eligible for the program. This is the reference amount set for the council and can be a single year spend for the year or average of 2 or 3 consecutive years spend, whichever is greater.  As result of Central Coast Council meeting that mandatory requirement, Council receives $2.78M annually and has been spending this grant on road renewals projects across the region.

Australian and New South Wales Government

Natural Disaster Funding Programs

Council has and is continuing to explore further opportunities to obtain grant funding for the road network and associated infrastructure under Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangement and the Regional Road and Transport Recovery Package.  These funding opportunities are associated with natural disasters to assist with road restoration works in repairing damage caused by weather events experienced in 2022.  This grant funding will help Council return the region’s weather affected roads and related infrastructure back to a satisfactory condition.  Council is appreciative of this grant funding which is and will assist Council in delivering these essential projects.

Council has made significant investment in securing project delivery resources in an effort to meet the increased demand associated with the Natural Disaster remediation effort.  To date, Council has stood up a Natural Disaster project team which currently consists of six contract resources and support from an internal staff member on secondment.

Specialist Council Officers meet monthly with the Government funding representatives, Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW), to discuss project and funding status; conduct inspections of the various sites; review and explain investigations undertaken to-date; discuss concept remediation options and their associated estimated costs.  From this concept information discussion, Council submits a formal claim to TfNSW for the estimated cost of the repair work to allow design and remediation works to progress.

Council has identified 103 slip sites across the local government area requiring remediation, with the total remediation effort estimated to cost in the order of $98M.  Planning and design activities are underway and funding applications have been submitted for $96.3M with all claims fully submitted in December 2023. As of December 2023, Council has received formal approval for $52.3M.

Significant slips have occurred at Gunderman; Spencer; Wisemans Ferry; North Avoca; Avoca Beach; Berkeley Vale; Ourimbah; Mt Elliott; and Springfield.  Location and details of the slip sites have been mapped and are available to the community on Council’s website.  This interactive map has been available since September 2023 and will be updated monthly with progress reports. To view the map, residents may visit:

https://www.centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/council/about-council/current-works-and-projects/major-projects/wisemans-ferry-road-natural

In a further effort to expedite remediation works and following extensive market engagement and acknowledgement of current constraints within the civil contractor labour market, Council Officers have established a prequalified list of contractors to assist in delivering the large scale remediation effort. This list allows Council to more efficiently and expediently engage contractors for the delivery of these essential works.
Furthermore, Crown Lands has approved $2.4M of grant funding to remediate the Buff Point Shared Pathway which is currently closed and requires extensive replacement and stabilisation of the associated embankment.  The current intention is that these works will be delivered by the abovementioned supplier panel with design recently completed and construction scheduled to commence in April 2024, which is likely to take around 20 weeks, to allow the shared pathway to be re-opened.

New South Wales Government

Safer Roads Program

Council has been successful in securing grant funding under the NSW Government’s Safer Roads Program totalling $165,000 to carry out road safety improvements on Showground Road, Gosford.  Safer Roads funding aims to reduce incidents of road accidents and improve road safety for all road users.  Council welcomes this funding to address road network safety and will deliver this project during 2023-24. 

Regional Emergency Road Repair Fund 

Under the Regional Emergency Road Repair Fund (RERRF), Council has been allocated $5.7M. The RERRF supports councils across regional NSW to fix damaged roads and improve the rideability of the road network. This fund builds on the previously allocated grant funding through the Regional and Local Roads Repair Program (RLRRP).

As part of the funding arrangements, Council Officers are now reviewing these documents and in particular the eligibility criteria, as it has been noted that additional scope and activities have been included in the RERRF which were previously ineligible under the RLRRP. Council Officers will be identifying where priority maintenance works and/or immediate repair on local and regional roads are required to ensure this grant funding is utilised in a manner that results in a safe, reliable, and sustainable road network for our community.

Get NSW Active

The Get NSW Active program provides local councils with funding for projects that create safe, easy, and enjoyable walking and bike riding trips. The guidelines state that a maximum of five projects per Council is allowed. Council recently submitted five applications with a total value of $6M to this grant funding program, which included a focus around schools.

It is anticipated that the announcement of the success or otherwise will be provided in April/May 2024.

State Road Projects

Council is also aware of significant investment from the New South Wales Government in transport and roads around the Central Coast which will be delivered by Transport for NSW as follows:

• $12M to start planning and design for Stage 4 of the Pacific Hwy Gosford bypass;
• $7.9M to finalise planning and start pre-construction activities to improve traffic flow and safety on the Tumbi Rd intersection with the Central Coast Hwy;
• $7.057M for planning and $16M for the Wyong Town Centre as part of the $420M upgrade of the Pacific Hwy through Wyong;
• $5M to start construction on improvement works at Blackwall Rd and McMasters Rd;
• $4.8M for the $58.8M Mandalong Rd upgrade;
• $2M towards the Avoca Dr upgrade between Algona Ave and Joalah Rd;

Specifics of these project including planning, design and construction is the responsibility of Transport for NSW, however consultation between Transport for NSW and Council as key stakeholders in the overall road network occurs as part of the consultation process.

The investment into these projects is welcomed by Council and notes the importance to the community as it provides the funding to complete important infrastructure works on the Central Coast state road network in addressing safety and efficiency for road users.

Visibility of Capital Works

Council has documented its commitment to deliver these activities which are identified as part of Central Coast Council’s Delivery Program and Operational Plan. A Corporate Capital Works map is also available to ensure that the community has a user-friendly and accessible way to view all of Council’s Capital Works projects in one place.

The Corporate map combines capital works projects from across Council’s disciplines including Road and Carparks, Water and Sewer, Open Space and Recreation, Natural Areas, Sporting Facilities, Waste, Facilities and Buildings, and Pathways.

The map describes project details, budget information and progress of projects and allows viewers to find works within their street or suburb by simply scrolling through the map, zooming in and clicking on a pin to view the project details.

Updates to the information are made monthly. To view the map, please visit: www.centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/council/about-council/current-works-and-pro…