Kempsey Road impacted by bushfires and localised flooding
State government engineers are providing technical support to Armidale Regional Council, as it works to rebuild the Kempsey Road, which was heavily impacted by recent bushfires and localised flooding.
Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall met with Minster for Regional Roads Paul Toole earlier this week to request Transport for NSW fast-track council's request for help.
It comes as residents deal with a road described as resembling a South American, Himalayan or third world country mountain track.
"Lower Creek is officially stranded," local resident Leanne Weigand told The Armidale Express in an email on Thursday.
"The road is closed for 47kms from the Kempsey side at Blackbird Flat to Raspberry Road, with Lower Creek in the middle with impassible cuttings and cavernous holes in the road in either direction."
She said that local farmers and landholders were struggling as they could not get trucks in or out to get cattle to market, the campground has not been able to reopen since the fires and floods because they can't have tourists drive on the road.
"It's only open to locals ... during daylight - or that's what the signs they've installed say; they haven't officially closed it on any government websites or google maps.
"We saw tourists driving through on the weekend."
The Express checked the Live Traffic website on Friday morning, and the road was not listed as closed.
"I know the current state of Kempsey Road is causing a high level of stress for the Lower Creek residents, who rely on the road to access markets and services in Armidale," Mr Marshall said.
"Unfortunately, the worst impacted area is the 'Big Hill' section, which council recently expended around $4.6 million of government funding to improve," he said.
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Mr Marshall said the road has copped a "double disaster whammy", with bushfires weakening the surface and recent heavy rain causing land slippages.
"Getting this road back to a usable standard is not going to be easy and I'm pleased Transport for NSW has acted quickly to provide geotechnical engineers who are helping council assess the damage, formulate a recovery plan and cost the scope of works."
He said the state government would cover the entire cost of repairing this damage.
"My hope is, through the Office of Emergency Management's betterment funding arrangement, funding can be accessed to improve the road to a higher standard than it was prior to the recent disaster.
"This could include sealing the entire length."
Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall, left, discussing Kempsey Road with Minister for Regional Roads and Transport this week in Parliament.
Meanwhile, at the request of Armidale Regional Council, New England MP Barnaby Joyce this week penned a letter to Minister for Defence, Linda Reynolds, requesting ADF assistance with the immediate clean up and repair of the road.
"Recent bushfires and subsequent loss of vegetation, followed by storms and heavy rain, have caused a number of major landslides along this road recently and severely restricted access," Mr Joyce said.
"As this is a major east-west link between Armidale and the coast, the loss of road access is causing much disruption for local residents especially during this busy time for stock transport as landholders look to restock during a reprieve from drought.
"That's why I've asked for ADF assistance to help with the huge task now at hand of clearing and repairing the widespread damage caused by these landslips."
Mr Joyce has also written to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Michael McCormack, and is currently awaiting a reply from both ministers.
Leanne Weigand said the council had kept putting off the necessary long term repairs, while it waited for the state buy back.
"In Adam Marshall's words this week (the buyback) is years away and then the road works will start - we can't live like this for another three plus years," she said.
"They didn't even send a grader out to smooth the road in 2019, it's been almost two years since last done.
"They are using a band aid approach and it's not good enough," she said.
Mr Marshall said he expected the process to have Kempsey Road transferred from council hands to the ownership of the state government would start in about 12 months.
"Kempsey Road will be taken back by the state government as part of a wider election commitment to transfer up to 15,000 kilometres of council-owned roads across the state."
He said an independent panel had been established to oversee this process and would deliver a priority list of roads for consideration by the end of this year, and he said the list would include Kempsey Road within the Armidale Regional LGA.
"While this road remains in council's hands I will continue to work with the government to ensure more funding for maintenance and upgrades is available for this important route," he said.