South Australia's Outback Roads: Flood Damage, Funding Crisis

0:00It's March 12th in Sydney. Let's get into the news. Recent floods in South Australia's Outback have left roads badly damaged and isolated towns in the north. Heavy rain cut off access to places like Hawker and Flinders Ranges with repair costs for one council alone hitting between 7 and 10 million dollars. That's more than their entire annual budget, leaving local governments struggling to cover the bill. South Australia gets the lowest federal road funding per person and per kilometer compared to any other state or territory. For years, the state has relied on a supplementary $20 million top up, but that funding has been inconsistent and is set to expire at the end of June. Council leaders are voicing real frustration over the shortfall, calling it a historical funding miscalculation that hits regional areas hardest after disasters. They point out that even full spending wouldn't fix much, with thousands of kilometers of roads needing attention amid rising maintenance costs. Meanwhile, state and federal governments have released emergency disaster funds for nine affected council areas to help with response and rebuilding.

1:07Central assets, officials say damage assessments are still underway. Advocates are pushing for a permanent boost to South Australia's road funding share ahead of the federal budget on May 12th and the state budget in. June, they argue that relying on one off disaster aid is not sustainable for keeping outback roads open. The daily news now is presented by our sponsor, linked in the description. Podcast hit different when the sound comes from your pillow. Once you try it, it just makes sense. S-O-L-I-SoliPillow.com