Cr Pontin was announcing an additional $7.5 million had been allocated to the 2022-23 draft council budget following months of unseasonably wet weather leading to overwhelming damage to regional roads.

"While our regional roads program is receiving $100 million over a six year period, we know our local roads need more attention," Cr Pontin said.

"The elected council has decided that while local roads cannot be fixed in one year, it is crucial that we start this work now," she said.

"We have agreed to put an additional $7.5 million towards this in the coming budget, even though this will result in a deficit in our budget for 2022-23.

"We have committed to returning the budget to a balanced position through a budget review during the coming financial year."

Cr Pontin explained the local road network did not attract funding through State or Federal government grants like the regional road network had in recent years.

"Maintaining our local road network is a constant challenge for us and I am continuing to lobby for additional funding from other levels of government."

Council plans to put in place improvements to customer interactions, Cr Pontin said.

"Through our business transformation program we will become more efficient in the way we provide services to the community," she said.

"The program includes reducing time taken to respond to customer enquiries, staff training, improving technology to provide better business systems, greater access to council services online and increasing business efficiency."

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Other focus areas include improving development assessment timeframes, working with businesses to create an economic development strategy and mitigating the impacts of climate change.

"Our draft budget, along with a suite of plans to demonstrate to the community what we will be delivering for them over the coming year and into the future, is currently on public exhibition.

"I would encourage anyone with an interest to review the documents and let us know what you think by making a submission during the exhibition period."

To read the 2022-23 draft operational plan, annual budget, and proposed fees and charges, and to provide feedback, visit www.haveyoursay.midcoast.nsw.gov.au before the public exhibition period closes on June 8.

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