It’s been nearly four years since the NSW Government announced in the lead up to the 2019 state election that up to 15,000 kilometres of council owned roads would be returned to State Government to better manage and maintain the rural road network.

The Government said it was “part of a broader package of support for local councils to better manage and maintain the rural road network”.

In September 2021, the independent panel appointed by the Government released its report into potential road transfers across regional NSW.

Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders to say the Government had accepted the panel’s recommendations 391 kilometres of regional roads be shifted to state management.

“One of those transfers put forward by the Independent Panel will see the route from Tomingley to Eumungerie via Narromine moved into state ownership, including sections of road within the Narromine township,” Mr Saunders said.

Yet as at January 2023 no rural or regional council roads have been transferred to the state, including all the roads the independent panel recommended in Narromine shire.

In an interview with the Western Plains App NSW Shadow Minister for Regional Transport and Road Jenny Aitchison said this showed this was a "tired" Government which had no clear strategy on fixing regional roads.

"The state of our roads, especially rural and regional is appalling and downright dangerous," she said.

Major flooding has ripped up roads and caused serious potholes across major road networks. But this should never have been left to councils to fix in the first place. If the roads were transferred, it would have help to make sure they are properly maintained by the state when it comes to potholes and roads destroyed by natural disasters" she said.

Last year the state government also received the Regional Road Transfer and NSW Road Classification Review looking at the efficacy of the transfer scheme but is yet to make it public. The review was given to the Minister for Transport and Regional Roads Sam Farraway last November.

Narromine Mayor Craig Davies is optimistic about roads transfers being formalised. Image: Narromine Shire Council.

Aitchison is calling on the Government to "immediately release" the report and also provided the Western Plains App with a rejected Freedom of Information release which her office made last year. 

The rejection states that it cannot be released without Government approval because it is considered a "cabinet in confidence" document. The terms of reference for the panel also prohibits any panel members from speaking to the media or releasing any review information or documents to the media.

Minister for Regional Roads, Sam Farraway told the Western Plains App "Whilst it was easy for Labor to flog off state roads to councils, it is a longer process to return them back to the state".

"The NSW Government will announce the outcomes of the program following the consideration of the final report and the recommendations of the independent panel, at which time the panel’s final report will be published" he said.

"Timeframes for the publication of the final report and the NSW’s Government’s accepted recommendations for road reclassification or transfer are yet to be confirmed and will depend on the due consideration of the Panel’s recommendations by the NSW Government".

One potential reason for the delay in transferring roads back to state management is that roads must be brought up to a certain standard before the state government will accept a transfer.

Mayor Craig Davies told the Western Plains App the council was in extended negotiations with the Government regarding the roads in Narromine but was optimistic a positive deal would eventually take place once "certain conditions about the roads" were met by the council.