Council Welcomes Start of Remediation Works on Waterfall Way- Thora

Published on 11 November 2024

Bellingen Shire Council is pleased to announce that, following extensive advocacy efforts, Transport for NSW has committed to begin critical remediation works on Waterfall Way at the landslip site near Thora Store. This $5.3m project marks an important step toward restoring full accessibility to one of Northern NSW’s essential east-west corridors.

Flooding events in March 2022 caused significant damage west of Thora Store, resulting in traffic lights being established to allow single-lane access for local traffic. While these measures were to provide short-term relief, the roadworks have remained in place for more than two years.

Due to the nature and significance of the landslip it has been an extensive ongoing assessment of the requirements of the project to restore this stretch of road, and Council have been working to assist the State government throughout the process to ensure that these important works can be progressed.

Your elected Councillors also continued to advocate for the restoration of this vital regional road. In February, former Councillor Joanne Cook presented a Notice of Motion urging Council to press Transport for NSW to address two major hazards on this road: the Thora landslip and a nearby section of road at Myers Bluff limited by a 60 km/h zone. In April, Mayor Cr Steve Allan, General Manager Mark Griffioen, and Member for Oxley Michael Kemp MP met with Hon. Jenny Aitchison MP, Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, to emphasise the urgent need for these repairs. They also raised the issue again at the National General Assembly of Local Government in Canberra in July, also advocating for alternative route options to ensure reliable access from Dorrigo to the coast when Waterfall Way is cut off due to weather events. This approach has kept it at the forefront of priorities for State departments, and the Minister's Office has been responsive to our advocacy. Last week, Transport for NSW announced that slope remediation on a 90-metre section of Waterfall Way near the Thora Store will begin immediately, with completion expected by June 2025, weather permitting.

Photo: Mayor Cr Steve Allan and General Manager Mark Griffioen, along with Mr Michael Kemp MP, Member for Oxley meet with Hon. Jenny Aitchison MP, Minister for Regional Transport and Roads in April

Mayor Cr Steve Allan expressed his enthusiasm for the project’s commencement: “Waterfall Way is a vital route for residents, businesses, and daily commuters throughout the Shire,” he said. “Many have waited patiently through the delays at these traffic lights, so this is very welcome news for our community.”

“As a State-managed road, Council has advocated for this development to commence, and our efforts have been received well by the NSW Government, culminating in this funding for the first section of this road repair to commence”

The Mayor acknowledged the complexities faced in repairing this site, with land instability contributing to the delays and expressed his thanks to the State departments for their due diligence and prioritisation of this work, commenting; “To see these works finally underway and on track to be completed by next year is a promising step forward for Bellingen Shire’s connectivity, and we are grateful for all the planning work that has brought this job to fruition.”

Updates on the project will be available on the Transport for NSW website: https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/projects/current-projects/waterfall-way

Up-to-date information on works is available through the Transport for NSW Facebook Group Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/waterfallwaycommunity/