The cost of road accidents and trauma on the South Coast is well over $1 billion, according to data gathered by the NRMA.
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It's a figure that has led the motoring organisation to push the state government into injecting some COVID-19 stimulus spending on the South Coast.
In the Wollongong LGA, the cost of road accidents is $837 million - second only to Central Coast when it comes to regional areas.
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The figure for the Shoalhaven LGA is $701 million.
Together, that puts the cost of road trauma on Illawarra and South Coast roads at more than $1.5 billion.
The NRMA figures are based on the crash history of every NSW local government area between 2014 and 2018.
"Fixing roads in Wollongong and the greater South Coast area will save lives [and] provide a much needed boost to regional economies.
- The NRMA's Peter Khoury
The $1.5 billion figure takes into account the cost of emergency services, damage to property and roads, the loss of productivity due to fatalities or serious injuries.
The NRMA's Peter Khoury said the organisation supported the state and federal governments' move to invest in road infrastructure as an economic stimulus to counter the effects of coronavirus.
He said the data gathered by the NRMA showed the South Coast was a worthy location for some of that spending.
"Fixing roads in Wollongong and the greater South Coast area will save lives, provide a much needed boost to regional economies and give greater access to regional tourism destinations, particularly as we emerge from COVID-19 travel restrictions," Mr Khoury said.
"The South Coast has always been a top destination for holidays, and with the international travel restrictions to remain in place for some time, domestic locations will rise even further in popularity.
"We need to make sure tourists and locals are driving on the safest and most efficient roads possible."
The NRMA call echoes one just days earlier from Labor's Roads spokesman John Graham.
"This shouldn't just be about major projects, it is the chance to speed up local projects," Mr Graham said.
"This will be cheaper and faster if we deal with it in this unprecedented window of time."
Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
