Mid-Western Regional Council voted to accept funding to trim trees along rural roads to improve heavy vehicle access in support of drought relief freight.
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The grant for the amount of $300,000, was successfully obtained through the NSW State Government Drought Relief Heavy Vehicle Access Program.
Queens Pinch Road, Pyramul Road, Merotherie Road, and Mebul Road, are the routes chosen for work.
The motion was passed at Council's extraordinary meeting in late July, as a condition of the grant stipulated that works must commence within 30 days and completed within 50 days or the funding will be withdrawn.
The Drought Relief Heavy Vehicle Access Program has been running since October last year and offers $15 million - up to $300,000 per council for all projects - toward the cost of maintenance and minor improvement work on roads and roadsides.
Including tree trimming to improve access for 4.6 metre high vehicles.
As of this week, the Mudgee Airport weather station is over 100mm short of its January to August average rainfall figure (289.4mm compared to 411.1mm).
Furthermore, in the year since it commenced the 200 Bales campaign has raised over half a million dollars to distribute and over 3000 bales to help local farmers struggling in the drought, with the need for their assistance not diminishing.
And there's unlikely to be much relief in sight, with the Bureau of Meteorology's August to October outlook pointing to more warmer and drier than usual weather.
Rainfall is expected to be near-to-below average around the country for the next three months. Which will further compound drought conditions and increase the bush fire risk in areas.
While the Mid-Western Region avoided an August start to the Bush Fire Danger Period, the NSW RFS last week announced that 12 local government areas would commence the season two months prior to the statutory starting date.
In recent years the local starting date has been brought forward to September.
