Mullaway residents fight for proper drainage ends with million dollar commitment

Belated victory for Mullaway community as Council commits to completing works by end of the year

Many residents living in Mullaway will get upgraded drainage after a long fight.

Six years after members of the Mullaway community presented a petition to former MP Andrew Fraser, they will finally get proper drainage.

Open drains in the small coastal community, once described as “unacceptable in a first-world country”, will be closed after Coffs Harbour City councillors voted to contribute federal government funds to the works at Thursday’s meeting.

A total of $1.3 million will be spent on roads, kerb and gutter and new pits and piping as part of the Orchid Rd and The Boulevarde Drainage project with $500,000 coming from Council and the rest from Local Roads and Community Infrastructure funding.

The grant totals $2.95 million and is contingent on works, which also include the Vost Street Netball Renewal project and Moonee Cycleway, being completed by December.

At one stage it looked like Mullaway residents would be left to wait even longer after Cr Paul Amos moved a motion to replace the drainage works with works to partially complete a cycleway in West Coffs Harbour which he said would “help out a lot more people”.

Mullaway community members meet former Coffs Harbour MP Andrew Fraser in 2015 to voice concerns over inadequate drainage in the town.

Mr Amos said with the impending bypass turning Coramba Road into a major arterial road, it would allow “mum, dad and the kids come all the way into town” safely from growing areas around Shepherds Lane.

“If we don’t connect that properly we are letting out planners down with regards to movement and the way the whole city works,” he said.

However, his attempt to direct the money away from Mullaway failed after an intervention from Tegan Swan who argued proper drainage in Mullaway was a health and safety issue more than just a “nice to have” option.

As a former resident of Mullaway she knew the issues residents faced with poor drainage leading to problems with pooling water, algae and mosquitoes.

“I don’t know in good conscience, I could say ‘I am sorry but people riding their bikes to the park is more critical than … the proper drainage that you have been asking for years’,” she said.

After Cr Amos’ motion was defeated, Councillors voted unanimously to direct the funds to the three projects.