Staus of Bellingen Road as at March 2018

from " The MyRoadInfo website"

Bellingen Road [Closed]

Road remains closed to the public from Byrnes Bridge. Designated as a Fire Trail Access only for emergency services vehicles and not maintained by Council. Vehicles travelling on this road do so at their own risk.

Photographs of repairs on Bowraville side of Bellingen Road 15 May 2017

The following photographs were taken about one kilometre from the top of Bellingen Road on the way down to wards Bowraville. It was 4pm and rather shady where the photos were taken

Thanks to Tony for driving me up there. Near the summit on the Spicketts Creek side there were signs of clearing on corners for later repair work. Near the top, the road was in better condition than reported on 5 May see http://bowbells.blogspot.com.au/2017_05_11_archive.html

gabion baskets

filling gabion baskets on corner

very wet road

working on repairs across the valley

gabion baskets in place across the valley

photographs of damage to Bellingen road Spicketts Creek end of road 11 May 2017

There is considerable damage to Bellingen road on the Spicketts Creek end of Bellingen Road more than  1 kilometre from the top of the road before it goes down to Bowraville.

The following photographs were taken walking up the the hill after parking beside an unnamed fire trail on the right on the way up the hill. We passed another fire trail on the left , also not named, but turned around before reaching Valley Valley Road.

The larger photographs show a ditch very close to the road edge, that corner likely to wash in the event of heavy rain

left hand side of road, 500mm deep ditch only 1 metre from road edge

same location as above

update on repairs to Bellingen Road - 22 March 2017

Today Wednesday 22 March 2017, the following information was received from the Project Manager in charge of the repairs to Bowraville Road.

"works are anticipated to commence next week.

Completion June/July 2017.

Nic Dodd  BEng(Civil) MIE(Aust)

Consulting Engineer | Project Manager"

update on remediation of Bellingen Road 17 February 2017

The project has been delayed, and I have been putting off this email until I could advise of the new date of commencement, however this is still unknown.

Hopefully the project will commence in March, however this is still to be confirmed.

I will advise further when a works commencement date is confirmed.

Nic Dodd  BEng(Civil) MIE(Aust)

Consulting Engineer | Project Manager

contract for remediation of Bellingen Road 22 December 2016

From: nic@doddcivil.com.au [mailto:nic@doddcivil.com.au]
Sent: Thursday, 22 December 2016 10:40 AM
Subject: Remediation Works - Bowraville / Bellingen Road

Hi everyone,

This is a group email to various stakeholders initially involved in the preliminary planning stages for remediation works on the currently closed section of Bowraville / Bellingen Rd.

The remediation works have recently been awarded to a specialised contractor, with works to commence at the beginning of January 2017.

The road will remain closed during the works, that are expected to take 3-4 months.

Nambucca Shire Council have appointed Dodd Civil Consultancy to oversee the project and construction works.

So if you have any enquiries, please feel free to contact myself via email or on mobile 0400 150 132.

Nic Dodd  BEng(Civil) MIE(Aust)

Consulting Engineer | Project Manager

Ph: 0400 150 132

Email: nic@doddcivil.com.au

letter to Melinda Pavey from Helen - need for response on Bellingen Road

Helen	11:38 AM (6 hours ago)
to melinda.pavey

Good Morning Melinda,

I refer to a letter that my neighbour David Wallin has recently sent to you regarding Bellingen Rd.

I cannot express strongly enough the frustration at finding more glossy political propaganda from your party this week. My son, who is yet to turn 18 even received identical propaganda so, in total three people in our family each received the same “junk mail” from you …. one can only despair at the sheer cost of such propaganda which I might add goes directly into the bin without being read - purely out of anger! How can such costs be justified when there are so many issues that continually get pushed down to the bottom of the paperwork “to do” pile?

The issue of Bellingen Road is a prime example. For SEVEN years we have been asking for the issue of Bellingen Rd to be finalised. 

Countless hours and large amounts of money have been “wasted” in “paper work” and still there is no action. Mayor Rhonda Hogbin and her team at Nambucca Council continue to seek answers from the RMS on behalf of the residents but still the issue does not ever make it to the top of the RMS issue pile!

My good neighbour David Wallin, has once again written another very clear and concise letter to you, reminding you of the need to address this ongoing issue, and having read this letter, I felt compelled to write to you again, not only to support David, but also to express my own disappointment at the level of care from politicians. There is actually a “duty of care” issue out here at Spicketts Creek which the RMS are well aware of - or at least they should be because it is well documented in their “Value Management Assessment File”pertaining to Bellingen/Bowraville Rd. I highly recommend that you request a copy of this from the RMS so that you know what we are talking about here!

Regards,

Helen Marges

letter to Melinda Pavey asking for response on reopening of Bowraville Road

Hi Melinda

I have just received a letter from you. I thought it might be a response to our problems with the closure of the Bellingen Road, but it was just another expensive glossy brochure.

Attached is a photograph taken from our house of the trees killed by the recent bush fire,so we have a constant reminder of what might have happened, if the east coast low rain  and the efforts of local fire brigades and forestry had not stopped it.

Surely you have to make some comment on the issue of the Bellingen Road. 

A number of residents have been collecting information over the past seven years about the restoration of access through the Bellingen Road.

I thought it would be useful to remind you of these.

The damage to Bellingen Road occurred in 2009.

I have previously documented Andrew Stoner's pledge to restore the road. (He also wrote a letter published in the Bellingen Courier Sun on 1 May 2013 which trumpeted funds for rural areas from lease sale of ports - see attached )

The RMS was allocated the task of processing this promise.

A report was commissioned from consultants GHD, which was then referred by the RMS to a Value Management Workshop involving all stake holders.

The outcome, brilliantly argued by Mayor Rhonda Hobden, determined that the preferred option was  "Restoration of both Northern and Southern Zones of damage of the road", with 360 points allocated compared with the option of closing the Southern Zone with 100 points. The main reason was "ability to respond to life threatening situations". 

This recommendation has been constantly ignored by the RMS.

Ryder Level Bucknell costed the options in their report dated  21 December 2010.

The relevant costing is for closure of the southern section. It appears that a road cannot just be left to rot away , it has to be restored to a natural situation before closure. The costing was $1.43 million dollars plus $350,000 for design and profit to the contractor. So whatever happens $1.78 million has be spent on the Bellingen Road.

A compromise option has been proposed by all the relevant local authorities, Nambucca Shire Council, RFS, National Parks and local RMS, which is to construct a fire trail to the specification for a Category 1 Fire Tanker (13 tonnes) at a cost of $1.5 million, which would allow an escape route for residents living on the Bellingen Road, and allow the RFS to "respond to life threatening  situations".

This option appears to be blocked somewhere with the inference that the money will have to come from RMS budgets.

This may not be as harsh as it sounds, if you understand where funds are allocated for Natural Disaster.

In June 2014, the NSW State Government made a submission to the Productivity Commission report into Natural Disaster Funding.

In an appendix they described how funding is organised. Relevant to the Bellingen Road was the information

"Apart from the central provision held in the DRA and managed by Treasury, there are some other minor budgeted provisions for recovery activity funded separately. 

Currently these consist of: $20 million internal provision set aside by RMS from its maintenance budget........" 

So the RMS have the funds and need political pressure to resolve the reopening of the Bellingen Road.

I look forward to some reply from you.

regards

David Wallin

This email is being copied to the residents in this area

Nambucca Shire response to email to Melinda Pavey 27 JUNE 2016

Michael Coulter	4:18 PM (15 hours ago)
to me, Mayor, Stephen, Paul, Loreto

David

You may have already been filled in by our Engineering Designer Stephen Fowler but compared to the original $1m offer from the RMS, Stephen Fowler prepared a “bush fire trail” design which met the requirements of the RFS for access by a Category 1 fire tanker.  This design was costed at $1.5m.  I gather the RMS at Grafton are supportive of the design but the advice is the increased cost may get knocked back by RMS Head Office.  We are still awaiting a formal response to our application for Stephen’s design to be approved for construction.

Regards

Michael Coulter

General Manager

Nambucca Shire Council

PO Box 177 Macksville NSW 2447

Direct: (02) 6568 0200

Mobile: 0409 153 788

Web: www.nambucca.nsw.gov.au

Nambucca Valley ~ Living at its best

letter to Melinda Pavey re bushfire from Sandy Radke 25 June 2016

Melinda Parvey                                                           25 June 2016

Member for Oxley

Dear Ms Parvey

Earlier this month I wrote regarding the opening of the Bowraville-Bellingen Road (my email is copied below).  Our community still is waiting for action on this matter and, following the NSW Budget announcements, I feel I must petition you again.

The Bowraville-Bellingen Road has been in existence for a very long time and is of historic importance. Our indigenous people walked the road between the Bowraville camp to Bellingen Hospital to see the doctor and to some times give birth as it was the only hospital in walking distance. Someone I met remembers how, when she was a girl, she and her friends used to ride their horses from Bellingen to Bowraville to go to dances.  The road carried the royal mail by Cobb and Co.; it was the main road north that was never flooded and the mail could get through.  And today it remains an important access route.  People living in the area need it for their safety and well-being.

I for one do not care who’s jurisdiction this road is anymore.  People’s safety is at stake and I am not alone in losing patience.  Until 2009 it was a State responsibility and then guess what? It became local!  Of course it did!  Right around the time of major flooding that washed the road away in several places.  In local jurisdictions where significant land is unrateable due to State Forests and National Parks, local governments are always behind the 8 ball.  They fixed what they could but there is more to do.

With a Budget surplus of $3.7b and a total of $20.2b to be spent on Transport and Roads, over $6.7b of which is on Road Transport, surely the State Government can help us out here!

But when I look at the Budget programs, precious little of it goes outside the Sydney metropolitan area.  The only hope seems the $1.5b for road maintenance, however there seems to be a lot of caveats regarding fixing things for economic growth and none for the safety of Australians.

This road has been in existence for a long time and people bought property along it thinking they had reasonable access in and out.  Then, call it what you will - climate change, act of God, nature’s forces – it was eroded.   We have a basic right to have the road restored!

Sandy Radke

Fire at Spicketts Creek - inaccessible country e.g. Bellingen Road 28 May 2016

published Bellingen Courier Sun 8 June 2016

Double click to enlarge

Sandy Radke email to Melinda Pavey 1 June 2016

Dear Ms Pavey

I am a resident of Spicketts Creek in the Bellingen Shire and also a member of the Brierfield Bushfire Brigade.  Many of us in the Spicketts Creek and wider Brierfield area concerned that restoration of the the Bellingen-Bowraville Road is still in limbo.  For us this road is a major infrastructure asset and important access trunk for firefighters.

We had been hopeful, recently, regarding plans to upgrade and maintain this road as a Category 1 Tanker specification fire trail, as proposed by the Nambucca Shire Council.   This would at least give residents an escape route in emergency as well as help in fire protection and mitigation.   However, it is with disbelief and dismay that I have learned from another resident that the proposal mentioned above is possibly being sidelined while yet another report is sought.

For well over a week, a fire on Helliwells Road at Missabotti has, until yesterday, been out of control.  Last week, with very high winds, another fire broke out on the north side of the ridge where the Missabotte fire was going.  Eventually the westerly winds and normal fire behaviour caused the fire to spread to the north and west.  Technically, responsibility for the fire was with the Lower Mid North Coast RFS and State Forests however, our Brigade adjoins theses jurisdictions and in reality, we are the ones who may be called to assist, due to terrain and access.

Danger has abated for the moment and we hope for rain, however, the situation highlights the importance of the Bellingen-Bowraville Road.

My own property is about 8 km from the northern edge of the Missabotti fire, while it was burning I could clearly see it from my home and I attach a photo.  It certainly was more spectacular at night!  I can only image what residents nearer to the fire, with only the Bowraville Road for access were feeling.

I am extremely disappointed at the response of the Government on this matter.

Sandy Radke email to Minister for Roads 2 June 2016

Dear Minister

I am a resident of Spicketts Creek in the Bellingen Shire and also a member of the Brierfield Bushfire Brigade.  Many of us in the Spicketts Creek and wider Brierfield area are seriously concerned that restoration of the the Bellingen-Bowraville Road is still in limbo.  For us this road is a major infrastructure asset and important access trunk for firefighters.

In 2009 this road was severed by major flooding events and still it has not been restored to its original capacity, leaving residents vulnerable.

We had been hopeful, recently, regarding plans to upgrade and maintain this road as a Category 1 Tanker specification fire trail, as proposed by the Nambucca Shire Council.   This would at least give residents an escape route in emergency as well as help in fire protection and mitigation.  

However, it is with disbelief and dismay that I have learned that the proposal mentioned above is being sidelined by you while yet another report is sought.

For well over a week, a fire on Helliwells Road at Missabotti has, until yesterday, been out of control.  Last week, with very high winds, the fire broke out on the north side of the ridge where the Missabotti fire was going.  Eventually the westerly winds and normal fire behaviour caused the fire to spread to the north and west.  Technically, responsibility for the fire was with the Lower Mid North Coast RFS and State Forests however, our Brigade adjoins theses jurisdictions and in reality, we are the ones who may be called to assist, due to terrain and access.

Danger has abated for the moment and we hope for rain, however, the situation highlights the importance of the Bellingen-Bowraville Road.

My own property is about 8 km from the northern edge of the Missabotti fire, while it was burning I could clearly see it from my home and I attach a photo.  It certainly was more spectacular at night!  I can only image what residents nearer to the fire, with only the Bowraville Road for access, were feeling.

I am extremely disappointed at the response of the Government on this matter.   Another example of those of us in rural areas being patted on the head and set aside.

This road needs to be fixed URGENTLY!


Sandy Radke
1111 Bowraville Road
Spicketts Creek, NSW 2454

Response to Helen from Melinda Pavey

From: Melinda Pavey <Melinda.Pavey@parliament.nsw.gov.au>

Subject: Re: Bellingen/Bowraville

Date: 1 June 2016 11:01:51 am AEST

To: Helen 

Cc: ElectorateOffice Oxley <ElectorateOffice.Oxley@parliament.nsw.gov.au>

Helen

Thank you. I will. Melinda

Sent from my iPhone

Helen Marges email to Melinda Pavey 1 June 2016

Dear Ms Pavey,

I refer to the letter sent to you by David Wallin (below) and urge you to push this matter to the “top” of the ministers pile of papers to attend to. 

It is a very long time since the road first closed following the severe whether of 31/3/2009. 

WE need this road to be opened - without it emergency services "ability to Respond to Life Threatening Situations” is jeopardised.

Fortunately the situation regarding this recent out of control bushfire not life threatening ……. but it very well could have been given less favourable weather conditions!

Regards,

Helen Marges

Melinda Pavey reply to email to David Wallin 1 June 2016

David

Thank you so much for your excellent assessment of the situation. I will push where I can this week.

Kindest regards

Melinda 

Fire at Spicketts Creek email to Melinda Pavey sent 1 June 2016

Dear Ms Pavey

A bush fire has been burning over an area of 360 hectares, which started on Helliwells road Missabotti about a week ago.

It burned through  inaccessible country including the closed Bellingen road.

It has been contained, but in Spicketts Creek we could see the flames coming down the hill towards our property. Two recently arrived owners in the front line of the fire moved out.

I have written to you previously about the need to reopen the Bellingen road and the main argument is the danger of bush fires, and I pointed out to you that Andrew Stoner promised to do this in 2011 from Natural Disaster Funding. (see below)

There has been some progress with all the local authorities, RFS, National Parks, Forestry and including RMS supporting rebuilding the road  as a fire trail to the standard of a Category 1 Fire Tanker (13 tonnes).

This current fire, which started as a controlled burn, demonstrates the need for this infrastructure. Bellingen Road was built 130 years ago and provided the starting point for various fire trails and logging trails. Without these the country in inaccessible.

I heard yesterday from Nambucca Shire Council that the proposal is sitting on the desk of the National Party Minister for Roads Duncan Gay, while he calls for another report. Surely the current fire should finally confirm the need for rebuilding the road.

I am copying this email to my neighbours and intend to send it to the local papers.

We expect better from the National Party in providing essential services to the rural community

David Wallin

From: Andrew Stoner <Andrew.Stoner@parliament.nsw.gov.au>
Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2011 08:08:15 +1000
To: "treeferns@westnet.com.au" <treeferns@westnet.com.au>
Cc: ElectorateOffice Oxley <ElectorateOffice.Oxley@parliament.nsw.gov.au>
Subject: Fwd: Re: Bowraville Road - funding of local roads and progress inspending natural disaster funding

Dear David

Firstly, apologies for the delay in responding.

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.
 Yours sincerely

Andrew Stoner