Massive boost to funds to fix roads

LOCAL roads and streets across the region have received a major boost with more than $13 million in extra funding being made available to our councils for vital road upgrades through the Roads to Recovery Programme over the next two years.The extra money will flow as a result of the passage through Federal Parliament of the fuel excise indexation legislation.This is a huge additional boost to Mackay Regional Council, Whitsunday Regional Council and the Burdekin Shire Council and if more roadworks can be undertaken, more jobs can be created.Councils in the Dawson electorate will receive:Council                                                Additional June 15                         Total 2014-19Mackay Regional Council                   $4,465,685                                          $12,953,964Whitsunday Regional Council             $2,319,675                                          $6,728,864Burdekin Shire Council                       $1,374,768                                          $3,987,899Townsville City Council                       $4,946,441                                          $14,348,530This extra funding will deliver a tangible benefit and make our roads and streets safer and more reliable.Every cent of the extra $23 billion revenue raised through the fuel excise indexation over the next decade and beyond will be invested in road infrastructure.Over its almost 15 year history, Roads to Recovery has funded the repair and upgrade of more than 45,000 local streets and roads across Australia, the largest investment in Australia's local roads ever undertaken. This includes scores of road and street projects in the Whitsunday region.The extra $1.105 billion being pumped into Roads to Recovery will be paid to councils under the usual formula as part of their regular quarterly payments without any requirement for councils to match the extra money.