From Hilltops Council – Margaret Roles

Mayor Margaret Roles

School holidays will see many locals and tourists out and about in Hilltops taking advantage of the sporting fields, parks, playgrounds, and reserves – all part of the community assets that Hilltops Council manages.

Hilltops is certainly gaining a reputation as the place to be. Two groups who have been most appreciative of our local hospitality during Easter were the Pontiac Car Club, centred in Young for their National Rally, and the Carriage Driving Association. The Carriage Driving Association together with the Ellmore Driving Club held the Australian Combined Driving Championships in Boorowa.

During the last weeks and over the Easter break I have travelled many of the roads in Hilltops. We are all aware of the size and scale of the damage inflicted on our road network, as a result of the extreme weather events of 2022/23. Repair will take time and money.

A recent report by NRMA stated that funding needed by councils across the state to maintain the road network to a safe standard is at least $2.2 billion. This figure is bound to increase as councils continue collating road damage data. All over Hilltops, I know there are roads that need work, but I also know that our wonderful, resilient crews are working consistently to repair, rebuild, patch and grade the road network.

Under the Regional and Local Roads Repair Program (RLRRP), Hilltops was allocated just over $5million to be used to fund resealing, heavy patching and drainage and claim emergency work that has already been undertaken.

The funding will not repair all our roads but will certainly allow Council to work on many of the category 5 (most at risk) road sections within our region. We must ensure that category 5 road sections are as safe as possible for all users. Council continues to apply for road grant funding as it becomes available.

Take care over the school holiday period and enjoy autumn in our beautiful Hilltops.

Margaret Roles
Mayor