1km-long Christmas present delivered

Ten-year battle ends with hand-painted show of thanks

JOB DONE: Denis Gordon's sign commenting on the sealing of McIntyres lane.

IT MAY have taken more than a decade but McIntyres Lane is finally free from bum-numbing corrugations.

After years of campaigning to have the road sealed, Clarence Valley Council announced on Sunday that the road was ready to go just in time for Christmas.

Long-time campaigner Denis Gordon was so happy with the finished product he felt compelled to alter his sign – which called on the council to fix the road – to something a little more festive.

“The job is done and I am very happy about it,” he said.

“The workers, the engineers have done a very good job.”

Mr Gordon, who had a long connection to the area, said he thought it “was never going to happen” and couldn’t understand why there was not more enthusiasm for the project.

In his time he saw proposals to seal the road come and go and even fought against moves to close the road completely.

“It is really now the main connection between Gulmarrad and the old Pacific Highway ­because they have built the bridge,” he said.

“I have always believed it was the final part of connecting Gulmarrad to the highway.”

It was the completion of the overpass that triggered Mr Gordon to employ the tried and true method of public signage – to encourage the council to take “full advantage” of the new piece of infrastructure.

“That was when I put the sign out – ‘Great bridge – not sure about the road’,” he laughed.

He thanked fellow ­champion of the cause councillor Karen Toms, who had fought alongside him for more than 10 years “for the sake of the community”.

Ms Toms said she had spoken to Mr Gordon since the road had been completed and it was “lovely to hear” how happy he was.

“It’s such a good feeling knowing that it’s finished after such a long, hard fight to get it done,” she said.

“It warms my heart and makes me smile, giving me a great sense of achievement knowing the community who fought side-by-side with me for a decade finally have their road fixed.”

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