Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson and the NSW government have reiterated the promise for the latter to seal the stretch of road, a commitment Mr Anderson made in the 2019 election campaign.

There is still no indication of when that will start, but a spokesperson for Regional Transport and Roads Minister Paul Toole said some roads could be fast-tracked while a new independent panel does its job.

Rangari Road's status was questioned after the panel was formed to look at which roads could be suitable for the government to take back from council responsibility.

As the panel's findings are unlikely to be ready until the middle of next year, there were fears the sealing could not start until at least after that milestone.

However, the Minister's spokesperson said: "While the panel's final report is not expected until July 2021, the government may progress road transfers prior to this."

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"The NSW government made an election commitment to deliver a sealed and safer Rangari Rd, an important corridor for communities between Manilla and Boggabri," they said.

"We will honour this commitment and are currently determining funding profiles for this project."

The road's co-owners, the Gunnedah and Tamworth councils, have nominated it as one they are keen to hand back as part of the state plan to "to take back up to 15,000km of the regional road network ... to ease the burden on local ratepayers and ensure regional road networks are brought to an acceptable standard".

Road users have been asking for years for the road to be sealed, saying its condition makes it unsafe and a nuisance.