OPINION: Solution needed immediately for damage to Taylors Arm Rd Opinion by News Of The Area - Modern Media - September 3, 2021 DEAR News Of The Area, Firstly congratulations on Nambucca Valley News of the Area, it’s great having our own local paper and your team are doing a great job. I live at Congarinni about 800m from the start of the damage to Taylors Arm Rd, which is approximately 3km out of Macksville. On 25 February this year a large tree on the bank of the Taylors Arm river fell into the water, its root system lifted the tar road and formed a crater which almost reaches the centre line in the road. Council put a barrier around the damage and installed traffic lights. A number of other trees were leaning over the water and Council had them removed. After the March flood, when the road was under water for three days, the damage has become far more extensive as four or five other areas of the bank have now collapsed. This is a tidal river with regular boat traffic, this movement of water constantly eroding the bank, who knows how far under the road the erosion goes. Taylors Arm Rd is Macksville’s major tourist road going out to the Pub with no Beer, so this damage is concerning. No information has been given out by Council so I have recently had some communication with them. I knew Council had recently received over $3mil from the Roads to Recovery program so expected to hear a possible starting date for the work. I was told that Taylors Arm Rd was Council’s number one priority but there were difficulties. The job has to go out to tender, obviously. Because of the March flood event with damage to so much of the Mid North Coast, now Government recovery money is available, all the contractors are busy. In the light of difficulties Council predicts the road repairs could take two years. I find that unacceptable and obviously Council needs additional assistance to get this important local road back into a safe condition. This information has not been made public nor any comment about the flood damage. This is an issue the community could get behind to let powers that be know that all is not well in our little region. Regards, Bryony ALLAN, Congarinni.
Bryony, well said.. the council should be in a position to respond with a definite program of works with the Congarinni road flood damage being high the priorities. Why isn’t it already out to tender, the fact that contractors are busy doesn’t stop them signing contracts for new work and putting forward a timeframe on when it will be completed. It appears that there is very poor Councillor representation for anything west of Macksville on the Taylors Arm road otherwise these types of issues would not drag on for years. Bye the way it would be interesting to know how much rate payer or tax payer money is used up just having rented traffic lights on the road,,,, Reply
