Warning that councils could be left with the roads bill if transfer plan is dumped

Local Government NSW, which represents the state's councils, has flagged concerns that the transfer of responsibility for maintaining 15,000 kilometres of roads back to the NSW government has been pushed aside over funding concerns.

The state opposition has also jumped on the issue, which was an election promise, saying a Transport for NSW report confirmed the the intended transfer rate had only been 2000 kilometres per year

"Even if the process begins as soon as possible, it would likely take until 2029 to complete," said opposition spokesman on rural roads Mick Veitch.

"However, there are serious doubts about whether the project will go ahead. The report said the transfer of roads to the state is 'almost certain' to fail without additional funding."

Wagga mayor Greg Conkey said any change to funding arrangements will have serious implications.

"Wagga City Council has 2200 kilometres of roads that we have to maintain and we have a limited amount of money to do that," Councillor Conkey said.

"We have a huge backlog to maintain those roads and with rate-pegging it makes it extremely difficult to shuffle our finances around.

"So it would be a further impost on us. It's a huge cost to us and it always there; trying to maintain those roads to the best possible standard."

Cr Conkey said increases in the cost of maintaining roads would impact council's ability to provide other services.

"We've been complaining for quite some time about the cost shifting on to local government. It's something the state government does on a regular basis," he said.

Member for Wagga Joe McGirr said he believed the process for transferring the roads was ongoing.

However, he did flag concerns about who would be responsible for ongoing maintenance and said communities wanted to see local workers retained.

"My understanding was that were was going to be a consultation period," Dr McGirr said.

A spokesperson for Paul Toole, the Minister for Regional Transport and Roads said the asset plan process was ongoing.

"This is a complex process, requiring thorough consultation with a range of stakeholders including local government, freight industry and communities," the spokesperson said.

"An independent panel of experts was appointed in January to oversee the process, drawing on their experience across local and state government, industry and business, and will start consulting with stakeholders in the coming days.

"It will be up to the panel to recommend to government which roads might be considered for transfer and their prioritisation. The process of transfer itself is lengthy and complicated, which means that road transfers may happen over several years.

"The government understands councils' funding concerns and has specifically requested the panel consider funding implications of any transfers, including working to ensure local road maintenance jobs are maintained."