Coffs Bypass ‘on track’ as North Boambee Rd site office opens amid forced home acquisitions

The state government is negotiating with Coffs Harbour residents, who have complained of “lowball” offers as homes are forcibly acquired to make way for a $2.2 billion bypass.

The Korora Bus Interchange will be part of the Coffs Harbour Bypass project.

The long-anticipated Coffs Harbour Bypass is on track, though the recently elected Labor state government remains in negotiations with residents whose homes were forcibly acquired to make way for the road.

Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison was in Coffs on Wednesday morning to inspect the freshly opened bypass construction site office off North Boambee Rd.

Ms Aitchison admitted some residents have been “lowballed” in their dealings with the state – offered a price for their home in a booming property market.

NSW Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison at the opening of the Coffs Bypass site office off North Boambee Rd. Picture: Chris Knight

With a number of agreements yet to be settled, Ms Aitchison said the government would continue to bargain with those affected.

She said talks would continue with the developers of a film industry precinct at north Coffs, who argue the project can’t go ahead unless the state agrees to build a large wall to buffer noise from the new stretch of the Pacific Motorway.

Actor and Coffs resident Russell Crowe is a major backer of the movie studio development – and Ms Aitchison said she understood “it is an important industry to Australia”.

She said she was confident a fix would be found, noting the government had time on its side to negotiate given the bypass was not scheduled to open to traffic until 2026.

The Shepards Lane tunnel will be part of the Coffs Harbour Bypass project.

Coffs Harbour MP Gurmesh Singh said construction of the Coffs stretch of the bypass would be well in sight of Coffs residents, unlike the Nambucca highway build.

“This will be very different. People will see the northern and southern interchanges every day,” he said.

Transport for NSW Coffs Bypass project director Greg Nash. Picture: Chris Knight

Greg Nash, Coffs Bypass project director, said the $2.2 billion build would require a workforce of more than 700 “at its peak”.

But he cautioned the bypass could not be completed earlier than scheduled – even if workers enjoy Goldilocks weather through the next few years (final completion is due in late 2027).

Earthworks underway at the opening of the Coffs Bypass site office off North Boambee Rd. Picture: Chris Knight

“That’s because all of the works are sequential … things can’t be moved forward,” Mr Nash said.

The bypass aims to remove the final Pacific Highway bottleneck between Hexham and the Queensland border. It’s jointly funded by the Commonwealth and NSW governments.

While the project was initially driven by the former state Coalition government, Labor is committed to the build, Ms Aitchison said.

“I’m not going to come in here (as the new Minister) and make changes,” she said.

“We need to make sure we just get it done.”