AS the completion date of June 30 for the cycleway project between Macksville and Nambucca came and went, there have been many questions raised by the community as to a time frame we can expect to see this major work completed.

Mr Paul Gallagher, Nambucca Valley Council Assistant General Manager – Engineering Services, told News Of The Area, “The Nambucca Valley Council has received an extension to the grant from Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) for the completion of the project.

“Originally it was hoped to have had the works completed by June 30, however there was an issue in gaining property owners consent to the acquisition of some land as banks were also involved with mortgage arrangements and the property boundaries are not on true alignment.

“The issue with the property boundaries dates back some forty plus years with the former Department of Main Roads (DMR) and Council has agreed to rectify these issues as a part of the grant.”

The Nambucca Valley Council’s surveyor is currently working to rectify the issue of boundary adjustments.

There are currently two properties remaining where land is needed to be acquired, this being approximately a five metre strip from the existing fence line into their properties.

Confidential negotiations are currently taking place.

This process is a lengthy one as there is a private valuer acting on the residents behalf giving a land valuation to make sure they are compensated appropriately and banks with mortgages in place over the land are required to have an input as well.

Mr Gallagher said the negotiations are “nearing completion with one property owner agreeing to the offer and once all appropriate documentation is signed the next construction stage will be programmed in with the contractor who was awarded the work”.

He went on to say, “The other property acquisition is nearing agreement and will hopefully be finalised within the month.”

It is the Council’s aim to have the final two stages completed by December this year.

 

By Tamara MCWILLIAM