Outback Graziers to Help Fix Remote Roads in Far West NSW

When your business loses $60,000 in five months because tourists can't reach you, waiting for distant repair crews isn't an option anymore.

Samantha and Richard Maiden run Mt Gipps Station, a sheep farm with accommodation about 40 kilometers north of Broken Hill. After just 25 millimeters of rain this year closed their dirt roads on and off for over five months, they watched their tourism income drop 80 percent compared to last year.

The road closures weren't just hurting tourism. Livestock trucks carrying sheep risked tipping over on unstable roads, threatening the station's primary business too.

Now Transport for New South Wales has launched a solution that taps into local expertise. The agency will hire graziers and station owners as contractors to help fix roads in the Far West using equipment many already own.

Craig Matthews, director of regional road network maintenance, said the decision came after three natural disasters hit the area in six months. Managing 2,800 kilometers of unsealed roads across such a vast region created massive backlogs.

Graziers who become contractors will earn hourly market rates through a tender process. The program aims to get roads repaired faster by using people who already know the land and own the right machinery.

The Ripple Effect

The initiative could transform road maintenance across remote Australia. Station owners have spent thousands on their own road-fixing equipment out of necessity, and this program finally recognizes that investment.

However, graziers say regulatory requirements are slowing things down. The current system requires a trained safety supervisor to be present, which Ms. Maiden calls "disrespectful" to people who've safely operated heavy machinery for years.

She's proposing an emergency response system instead. Graziers with proper equipment could be called to fix roads within 100 kilometers of their property without lengthy tender processes.

"We just want the road open," Ms. Maiden said. "We don't want to make a billion dollars from it, but we need to be reimbursed for the costs and the time."

Transport for NSW says the tender process will open shortly and they'll continue consulting with graziers to refine the program. For station owners like the Maidens, that collaboration can't come soon enough.