The council's assets committee this week considered a report on cuts to its roading subsidy by the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA), which prompted some councillors to criticise the Government for putting money into big projects in areas where there were more votes.
The Government was forgetting it was provincial New Zealand which put them in power and should be reminded of that, Cr Jim Hopkins said.
The cut in roading, at this stage only an early estimate by council management which is still assessing the impact, comes because of a reduction in subsidies from the NZTA.
The estimate of $1.8 million over the next three years is made up of about two-thirds from NZTA subsidies and one third from rates.
The biggest impact is in the renewal and maintenance and operational budgets.
That would mean the council having to review its roading standards, assets group manager Neil Jorgensen said.
It was "unfortunate news" for the council which would not get the funding it had expected when it approved its 10-year long-term council community plan.
Apart from affecting maintenance and renewals, there was also an impact on new projects such as sealing Gardiners Rd, extending Wansbeck St to Oamaru Harbour and realigning Waianakarua Rd where it had slipped into the Waianakarua River.
Yesterday, the committee set as its top priority sealing Gardiners Rd, followed by the Wansbeck St extension, Wainakaraua Rd realignment, then the realignment of Coalpit Rd.
Other areas affected included safety projects, cycleways and walkways.
However, this is still a "work in progress," he said of assessing the impacts.
Mr Jorgensen said the council would not be able to deliver the same service to ratepayers as it had in the past, unless it put in more rates or the Government increased funding.
Six major projects in the North Island and one in the South Island were being implemented by the Government for "economic development".
Cr Hopkins said that should be going into the hinterland, which made a major contribution to the economy.
