Flood recovery works across the shire

14 May 2021

Bega Valley Shire Council is working quickly to ensure safe access for the community and road users across our road network, following the recent flooding.

The shire’s roads and transport stormwater infrastructure have been significantly damaged, with the cumulative impact of seven flood events since February 2020.

Council’s Project Lead - Recovery, Rebuilding and Resilience, Chris Horsburgh says while the shire has experienced floods in the past, the size and location of many of the current damages highlights the unprecedented weather events of the last 18 months.

“Work is currently underway to ensure all roads are accessible, which will continue as the water subsides. Local contractors are engaged to assist in the removal of silt and debris, and clearing roadside drains,” Mr Horsburgh said.

“There are also a number of large landslips and damage to bridges that will take longer to repair. Temporary traffic measures will be in place while engineering inspections are undertaken and works commence to restore the damaged sites.

“Once all roads and bridges are temporarily repaired, the process of restoring transport assets to their pre-disaster condition will begin. This phase of the repair process may take up to two years given the large geographical size of the shire and the high number of Council-owned and maintained roads.

“Restoration and repairs of these flood damaged transport assets are jointly funded by the Commonwealth and NSW Government under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA). There are strict guidelines in place for Disaster Recovery funded works, and Council has a dedicated team to ensure the work is undertaken appropriately.

“Contractor availability is also a factor in delays to restoration work. All DRFA work must be undertaken by an external contractor and not Council staff.

“There is a high volume of civil works being undertaken across the shire and neighbouring shires and we are essentially ‘sharing’ contractor resources, resulting in delayed start times and potential cost increases.

“Although disaster recovery is a focus, Council is still delivering a wide range of other externally funded projects across the shire that have delivery deadlines, so the community will continue to see more than just recovery happening.”

If you come across an area of damage that concerns you, advise Council by phoning (02) 6499 2222 or emailing [email protected]

“Thank you for your patience as we work hard to restore access across the shire, and please continue to drive to the conditions,” Mr Horsburgh said.