Monday, June 6, 2011

Regress on the restoration of the Bellingen/Bowraville Road 2011

The following information shows the lack of progress in restoring the Bellingen/Bowraville Road which was closed by storm damage in February and March 2009.

The latest information comes from an email from the office of local State Member Andrew Stoner on 12 May 2011

Thank you for your email.

Mr Stoner has asked me to advise that representations have now been made to the NSW Minister for Roads, Duncan Gay MLC, in regard to your concerns about the repair of the southern section of the Bellingen Bowraville Road.

A copy of the response will be forwarded as soon as received.

Kind regards,

Jodie Griffiths
Electorate Officer for:
Hon Andrew Stoner MP
MEMBER FOR OXLEY

On 25 March 2011 the RTA had advised that funding would be provided to repair the northern section only and the work to  re-open the road would be a matter of future review. see below


 
On 7 January 2011 Andrew Stoner  had confirmed

"I have always supported the restoration of the Bowraville-Bellingen Road under Natural Disaster funding arrangements and have consistently lobbied both State and Local Government toward this end. The great shame is that they are still merely talking about it nearly 2 years later.

A Nationals & Liberal State Government will act to have the road restored with Natural Disaster funding."

The complete restoration of the Bellingen/Bowraville road was recommended by a Value Management Workshop in December 2010. This workshop was a requirement of the RTA before further decisions could be taken. 

It took 4 months to establish the workshop following a public meeting in Bowraville  in August 2010.

It is worth reflecting that it is nearly two and a half years since the road was closed and shortly after the damage, promises were made by the State Government, that Disaster Relief Funding would be provided to restore the road. 

Scroll through the blog to understand the extent of the problem and lack of progress in achieving the reopening of this road that connects the town of Bellingen and Bowraville.