The bulk of that roads backlog comes from Wollongong City Council, where the 2015-16 financial year had a shortfall of $76 million.

The responsibility for maintenance of the bulk of the roads in the Illawarra – as elsewhere in the state – falls to the various councils

Overall, Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama councils need $83 million to repair potholes, resurface streets and whatever else would be required to return them to a satisfactory condition.

The NRMA figures - which are based on those submitted by councils to the NSW government – show Shellharbour needs an extra $4.42 million and Kiama an extra $2.4 million.

Shellharbour’s backlog was down 15.4 per cent on the previous year, while Wollongong and Kiama's rose by 6.7 per cent and 6.8 per cent respectively.

Across NSW, the NRMA had calculated that a whopping $1.96 billion was needed to repair and maintain suburban roads.

The NRMA had a range of recommendations for funding the roads backlog.

These included a fast-tracking of the federal government’s Roads to Recovery program, giving councils some of the fuel excise levy to fund local works or offering councils low-interest loans.

NRMA’s director for the Illawarra Marisa Mastroianni said a healthy road network was crucial.

“Our local road network is critical to how we move around,” Ms Mastroianni said.

“Whether commuting for work, leisure or accessing essential services, local roads are central to the functioning of our communities.”

Ms Mastroianni felt industries like tourism, agriculture and freight would benefit by roads that were well-maintained.

“Illawarra and South Coast communities have the potential to significantly expand our tourism offering and agricultural exports, and we need a road network that enables us to support these industries and grow our local economy,” she said.