Visiting Bega and Eurobodalla Council's this week Shadow Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Jenny Aitchison says "The NSW Government has fallen well short of a 2019 election promising to review and reclassify 15,000 kilometres of road to lighten the financial burden on local government and ratepayers – delivering just 391 kilometres or 2.6 per cent of the road promised.
"The Interim Report on road classification review and transfer of regional roads was published in February 2021 but not released until September of last year. The final report was due in March of last year but appears to be locked away until the results of the by-election are known.
"The Bega Valley and Eurobodalla Councils collectively advocated for the reclassification or transfer of seven sections of road, totalling around 98 kilometres. Both councils were decisively let down without a single stretch of road being accepted in the Interim Report delivering nothing but disappointment to the residents of the Bega Valley and Eurobodalla Shire,”the Shadow Minister for Regional Transport and Roads said. The applications indicate that the councils advocated for the following sections of roads to be reclassified or transferred to NSW State Government ownership:
Araluen Road: between Moruya and Braidwood – 81km
Bermagui Road, Tathra – 39.2km
Wallaga Lake Road: between Wallaga Lake Bridge and Bermagui - 9.8km
Andy Poole Drive, Tathra - 3.5km
Bunga Street, Bermagui – 1km
East Street, Bega - 300m
Bega Valley Council also applied for the reclassification and transfer of 1.7 kilometres of Carp Street, Bega, which was reclassified following the construction of the Bega Bypass.
Equally of concern will be the questions around the continued funding of beach Road in Batemans Bay that is presently recognised, and co-funded as a Regional Road. Once opened the Spine Road too will need to be recognised as a Regional Road to ensure Council is not placed with the entire burden of maintenance and renewal.
No doubt there will be questions asked of Eurobodalla Council's advocacy around the inevitable cost burden associated with the residue of Princes Highway from the North Moruya Industrial area to south of TAFE including the Moruya Bridge.
Given that there are traffic lights installed, owned and operated by the RMS one might imagine that they will need to recognise the residue length of road left over as a vestige of the proposed Moruya Bypass.
Above: Once recognised as a State Road the Araluen Road has fallen into considerable disrepair to the point of failure since the read was declassified.
Above: Obviously the Araluen Road didn't gain the six points required in Significance, Road Condition, Road Safety and Risk and Resilience. The road, once known as a Main Road (MR271) has over the years deteriorated in both status and stature. Once a reasonable connection between Braidwood and Moruya the road is a shadow of its former self and barely provides a quality access to residents, let alone those venturing along to visit Araluen and Majors Creek.
