Three media releases from the State Government in 2009, made it clear that repairs would be funded from natural disaster sources and that the councils would not be required to contribute money for the restoration of the road.
A process was started in 2009 which included reports from consultants, public meetings and culminating in a Value Management Workshop which was held on 14 December 2010.
The overwhelming recommendation from that meeting was that the road should be restored and reopened to continue the social, economic and cultural links between Bellingen and Bowraville.
The RTA outlined, at that meeting, the next steps in the process.
Councils were required to make a claim on the RTA for the funding from the Natural Disaster declaration made by the State Government Minister in 2009. These claims were submitted during January 2011
RTA would then write a report which would be submitted with the Councils' claims to the State Government for approval.
A number of options were determined in the lead up to the Value Management Workshop - doing nothing was not one of the options.
There is concern that decisions may be further delayed by the timing of the State election in March 2011. Both the National and Greens parties have pledged their support for the restoration of the road.
