Farm lost $60,000 to road damage; graziers step in to fix roads themselves
Mt Gipps Station lost about $60,000 in revenue when flooding closed roads for five months.
Samantha and Richard Maiden of Mt Gipps Station, near Broken Hill, lost about $60,000 after road closures forced them to cancel bookings for farm-stay guests unable to reach them. The station received about 25 millimetres of rain this year but roads closed on and off for more than five months.
Business dropped about 80 per cent compared to last year. Transport NSW has launched a program hiring graziers and station owners as contractors to repair roads using equipment they already own.
The agency manages 2,800 kilometres of unsealed roads. However, graziers say red tape is slowing repairs: a trained safety supervisor must be present on site, and the tender process for contracts is lengthy.
Ms Maiden said the rules were disrespectful and called for an emergency response program instead.
- $60,000
- Revenue lost
- 25 millimetres
- Rainfall
- More than 5 months
- Road closure duration
- 80 per cent
- Business decrease
Why it mattersRural businesses face months without income when roads wash out; a faster repair system could keep farms and transport flowing.
AustraliaFar West NSW farms and livestock transporters cut off for months as government road repairs stall; graziers offer local solution but bureaucracy delays it.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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