Councils across the Hunter region are mounting a major push to transfer hundreds of kilometres of local roads to state government control, as rising maintenance costs and population growth stretch local budgets to their limits.
Growing Pains Trigger Road Handover Push
The region's booming population has transformed once-quiet suburban connectors into major thoroughfares, creating maintenance challenges that local councils say they can no longer manage alone. NSW Road Minister and Maitland MP Jenny Aitchison has confirmed the state government is preparing a new system to streamline road reclassification requests.
Hunter mayors have already begun lining up to nominate which roads should become state responsibilities. The proposed transfers span multiple local government areas and include some of the region's most critical transport links.
Council-by-Council Breakdown of Road Transfer Requests
Lake Macquarie City Council is seeking state takeover of Minmi Road and Cameron Park Drive, both located in the rapidly growing Cameron Park area. Council assets manager Dayne Harris described these as "significant through-routes in one of the fastest growing areas in the Hunter Region."
Port Stephens Council has taken the extraordinary step of submitting a petition with more than 5000 signatures to NSW Parliament, demanding the transfer of Medowie Road and Lemon Tree Passage Road. Assets manager John Maretich reported both roads sustained "major damage" during recent wet weather and face "immense pressure" from increasing traffic.
"Council funding can only support temporary pothole patching and surface repairs, not the long-term reconstruction these roads urgently need," Maretich stated.
Maitland City Council has identified eight local roads for potential transfer, with most concentrated in the Thornton area. The list includes Weakleys Drive, Glenwood Drive, Thornton Road, Railway Avenue, Glenroy Street and Haussman Drive. The council also wants Metford Road reclassified to support future growth in Chisholm and East Maitland.
Cessnock Shire is targeting two major arteries: Wollombi Road, which runs through the region's growth corridor including Bellbird, and Old Maitland Road, connecting Cessnock to the New England Highway. Mayor Daniel Watton cited "significant growth in new and existing population centres" as driving increased traffic volumes.
Singleton Council has the most ambitious proposal, seeking to transfer 80 kilometres of its road network to state control. This includes sections of Putty Road, which averages almost 4400 vehicle movements daily while connecting the Hunter Valley to Sydney.
Heavy Industry and Unique Challenges
Muswellbrook Shire's roads face extreme pressure from coal and renewable energy industries, with more than 80% of the state's heavy vehicle movements passing through the local government area. A council spokesperson noted their roads were "not built for this level of traffic and now in need of significant upgrades."
Mayor Jeff Drayton wants the state to take over Wybong Road East, Kayuga Road and Thomas Mitchell Drive, which serves as a crucial bypass route between Muswellbrook, Denman and Dubbo.
In a unique situation, Dungog Shire remains the only local government area in NSW without a single state-funded road, despite maintaining over 700 kilometres of roadway. Mayor Digby Rayward is pushing for the chain of roads linking Tocal to Dungog to be declared state roads.
"We have consistently said that the state government must fund and maintain roads that lead to major state-owned assets," Cr Rayward asserted. "It's simply not fair that Dungog Shire... be left to shoulder the cost of maintaining infrastructure that primarily benefits the state's economy."
Upper Hunter Shire Council has previously requested state takeover of the road connecting Scone and Merriwa, two of its largest population centres.
New Government Approach Promises Reform
Road Minister Jenny Aitchison contrasted the new Labor government's approach with the previous Coalition's system, which she said "left road managers waiting many years for a one-off periodic review."
"[The Coalition] failed to make it clear who would fund the transfers, or fund and deliver ongoing maintenance," Ms Aitchison stated. "The NSW government's new approach will be 'always open' for applications."
City of Newcastle had previously sought reclassification rather than full transfer for Longworth Avenue in Wallsend, Woodbury Road in Tarro and Minmi Road, which would have maintained council management with increased state funding. The former government rejected this application, but these roads remain priority options for the rapidly growing western corridor.
The widespread push for road transfers highlights the growing infrastructure challenges facing regional NSW as populations expand and existing road networks age beyond local councils' maintenance capacities.
