Crucial Woodburn-Casino Rd farming route at Dairy Flat to be repaired as councils battle to get on top of roads after flooding
A key transport link in the Northern Rivers is getting some timely aid in the wake of the 2022 floods – but there’s hundreds of millions more road work still needed across northern NSW two years on
Lismore
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A key transport link for residents and agricultural enterprise in the Northern Rivers is now receiving some timely aid in the wake of the 2022 floods.
However, councils across northern NSW are still struggling to fix damaged roads two years after the record natural disasters – one LGA’s repair bill alone is more than $100 million.
Work has begun on the Woodburn-Casino road at Dairy Flat to improve road access between Coraki and Woodburn, particularly for Bungawalbin, Coraki and Woodburn residents.
Soft soil under the road at Dairy Flat has resulted in subsidence and a dip in the road.
This main section of road is the last to reopen post-floods, Richmond Valley Council states.
The $4.2 million project comes after Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt announced a $150 million state cash splash to help disaster-proof northern NSW last July.
Mr Watt said funding would be for projects improving community connectivity and economic resilience by way of transport infrastructure and evacuation route upgrades.
The Dairy Flat project will see the installation of 21 box culverts and 14 link slab lids under the Emergency Response Fund in the Northern Rivers Recovery and Resilience Program.
A new base slab structure, wingwalls and headwalls, batters and guardrail will also be built, along with the culverts.
Scour protection and embankment stabilisation will be completed to protect against road failure and further cracking.
Richmond Valley Council general manager Vaughan Macdonald said the estimated bill for flood-damaged roads throughout the Richmond Valley stands at more than $100 million – not including the cost of repairing major landslips at North Casino.
“Our local road network was severely damaged by the 2022 flooding events and ongoing wet weather, and it will take some time to repair all the damage,” he said.
“It’s a long road ahead but Council is committed to restoring our local transportation network to meet community expectations.”
Projects as part of the program are expected to benefit all seven northern NSW local government areas.
Plans include bridge raisings, widening flood channels, improving drainage, new pump systems, better evacuation plans and revegetation to provide nature-based mitigation.
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