Add Category
A regional road damaged during torrential rain in July is not set to reopen until next year prompting calls for the New South Wales government to take over its management.
Key points:
- Jamberoo Mountain Road has been cut off since July
- Four sections were damaged during repeated heavy rain events
- It will not reopen until next year prompting calls for the state government to take over responsibility
Jamberoo Mountain Road, connecting Kiama to the Southern Highlands, was closed after the downpour caused 60 metres of the road to slip down an embankment.
Kiama Municipal Council's director of asset and works, Mike Dowd, said cracking had since been identified in another three sections of the road between The Abbey Road and Misty Lane.
"I would have liked to have opened the road before Christmas but we're just not able to do that, unfortunately," Mr Dowd said.
"The complexity of the site has meant we've had to go through a much more rigorous and detailed design process to get all the issues on the road addressed.
"The main issue is that the area that has slipped is right next to another area that is about to slip … there are four areas that we're trying to address.
"So, while the road is closed it makes sense to fix all of the areas at the same time."
State should 'step up'
A three-week tender period to undertake the repair work was due to start on Wednesday and Mr Dowd said it was likely to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
He said the repairs would be paid for under Natural Disaster Funding, supplied jointly by the state and federal governments, but said ongoing maintenance should not be the council's responsibility.
"If we had Jamberoo Mountain Road under the management of the state government then they would be investing in some of these preventative type projects to maintain the road in an openable state," Mr Dowd said.
"The road itself is used as a regional road of state significance particularly when the nearby Macquarie Pass is closed.
"So, the state government should be stepping up and supporting us in that space."
Kiama councillors resolved in September to request the state government take over management of the road but had not received a response.
Businesses impacted
In 2020, Jamberoo Mountain Road was closed for six months under almost identical circumstances.
The secretary of the Jamberoo Valley Residents and Ratepayers Association, Ros Neilson, said the ongoing closure was a big inconvenience for the local community and had also resulted in a loss of business for some operators.
"It does make a huge difference to the residents of Jamberoo who can't use their normal routes for travelling to and from work," she said.
"It makes a huge difference to the businesses who lose not only tourism trade but also the tradies who used to travel up and down the road and stop in at Jamberoo.
"It's much bigger than a regional issue, it really is a state-wide transport problem … and we would really like the state government to take over responsibility of the road."
Mr Dowd said the council was considering options to help minimise the impact of the lengthy closure on residents and businesses.
"We're working with the locals up there about trying to support them with cars either side of the blockages so they can walk through, to try and support them as best we can," he said.
"But there's no way we can open the road to the public or buses."
The state government sought applications for its Regional Road Transfer and Road Classification Review between September 2021 and February 2022.
The ABC understands the applications have been assessed and evaluated by an independent panel, but a final report with recommendations is yet to be delivered to the NSW government.
"The NSW government will announce the outcomes of the program following the consideration of the final report and the recommendations of the independent panel," a Transport for New South Wales spokesperson said.