Council applied for assistance following the east coast low storm in June 2016 that took their toll on local and regional roads.

General manager Leanne Barnes welcomed the funding saying council had been working on getting assistance since the storms.

“The money is for repairs to critical infrastructure that was damaged and is up to $8 million. We have to do the work first,” Ms Barnes explained.

“The money will go towards what assets were damaged but does not cover our coastal assets that were damaged such as boardwalks, only critical roads infrastructure,” Ms Barnes said.

In addition council has received separate funding of $205,000 for bridges, which Ms Barnes said was very good news.

The mayor Kristy McBain said it would make a huge difference to the shire.

“It is like another year’s worth of maintenance for us. It is significant funding and will be used as soon as possible,” Cr McBain said.

It is anticipated that the funding is such that it will allow the overall maintenance condition of many roads to be lifted to an improved level which will have an ongoing beneficial effect in coming years, over and above covering just the repair cost, Cr McBain said.

“When I asked Terry Dodds (director transport and utilities) what roads it would include, he told me it would be easier to say which ones it didn’t include,” Cr McBain said.

Mr Dodds confirmed that over 700 locations would be repaired and said without the money it would have been very difficult.

“Without this funding council would face much risk and financial dilemma. It will alleviate the burden on spending from the general rates fund,” Mr Dodds said, adding it was “fantastic news for the motoring public”.

Mr Dodds said the contracts were in place and the schedule arranged so there would be no delays to the work being carried out.

Cr McBain said that work on four bridges would be funded from the money.

“Any external grant funding allows us to use money we would have spent on repairs, on other important projects,” Cr McBain said.