Wakehurst Parkway floodproofed: $13m in NSW Budget

It floods up to 11 times a year, disrupting thousands of motorists. But $13m will be spent to help make the notorious Wakehurst Parkway floodproof.

More than $13 million has been set aside in Tuesday’s NSW Budget to stop flooding on the notorious Wakehurst Parkway, closed here again in February this year. Picture: Damian Shaw

More than $13 million has been set aside in the NSW Budget to stop flooding of the notorious Wakehurst Parkway.

The money will be used to improve water flows under the road to help stop stormwater that shuts the busy road between Oxford Falls and North Narrabeen an average of four times a year.

Waterfalls cascade on to the Wakehurst Parkway at Oxford Falls during heavy rain. Picture: John Grainger.

State Liberal MPs for Pittwater, Wakehurst and Davidson — Rob Stokes, Brad Hazzard and Jonathan O’Dea — welcomed the Budget allocation to “address the road’s historic flood challenges”.

But the money will not go towards widening Wakehurst Parkway from two to four lanes.

It will be spent on work including new under-the- road culverts and drainage, creek realignment, sediment removal and new levees at three floodprone spots along the road.

Motorists have to battle along a heavily flooded Wakehurst Parkway on average four times a year. Picture: Manly Daily

This funding comes on top of $5 million the NSW Government, through Transport for NSW, provided to Northern Beaches Council in 2017 to conduct a study into ways to reduce the flooding of Wakehurst Parkway.

The study, released in April last year, by consultants Cardno, found that the Parkway was forced to close between three and 11 times a year between 2007 and 2014, with closures ranging from a few minutes to two days.

It recommended that levee banks be built; drainage be upgraded and; road alignments be adjusted.

While Wakehurst Parkway itself is the responsibility of the NSW Government, the council is responsible for managing Middle Creek and Narrabeen Lagoon.

Flooding on the Wakehurst Parkway near the Sydney Academy of Sport at Narrabeen. Picture: Manly Daily

“This is fantastic news for our community and will enable work to proceed on this essential project,” Mr Stokes said.

“Northern Beaches Council has done an outstanding job developing a comprehensive strategy for this unique road corridor which previously divided the former Pittwater and Warringah Council areas.”

Mr Hazzard said securing the state funding meant that as well as making flood improvements, it would allow for the design of the project to make sure there was limited impact on the bushland and ecology along the road corridor.

Serious flooding in February this year prompted Federal Liberal MP for Mackellar, Jason Falinski, to write to the NSW Government, urging it to immediately launch a feasibility study into a Parkway upgrade, including widening the road from two lanes to four.

Last week the Manly Daily reported that in a five-year period there were 49 serious crashes on Wakehurst Parkway between Frenchs Forest and North Narrabeen.

A car involved in a crash on Wakehurst Parkway, North Narrabeen, on a Friday night last month. Four people were taken to hospital and the road closed for about two hours after the two-car collision. Picture: NSW Fire and Rescue (Narrabeen)

Figures from the NSW Centre for Road Safety showed that the accidents included one fatality and at least 16 crashes where one or more people were badly hurt.

“It is great that after five years and $5 million, Council and the State Government have been able to announce a solution to flooding on the Parkway,” Mr Falinski said.

“We look forward to hearing more about plans to widen Wakehurst Parkway.”

Mr O’Dea said while there had been “been plenty of commentary about the Parkway” work had been progressing to develop a detailed plan.

“Now have the necessary funds to make it happen.”

In other transport news from t he Budget: While no specific funding was mentioned for further planning of the Beaches Link tunnels, a government spokesman said that money was part of the Western Harbour Tunnel and Warringah Freeway opgrade projects and was included in the $356 million budget allocation for this financial year.

“The EIS for Beaches Link will be placed on public exhibition by the end of the year,” the spokesman said.

Other Budget commitments for the northern beaches included:

– $2.7m to renovate and restore the historic fire station at Fairlight

– $26 million investment in the North Head Wastewater Plant (Biosolids project)

– $9 million to prepare the old Sealife Aquarium at Manly for its next phase (demolition or refurbishment)

– $25 million to upgrade Manly Wharf 3 to provide better capacity and disability and pram access

– $12.9 million to complete the upgrade of Curl Curl North Public School (a $38m investment in total)

– $9.3m to finalise Manly Vale Public School (a $51m investment in total)

– $1.8m for major works at the Manly Hydraulics Lab

– $1m+ to Northern Beaches Council for the construction of a shared path from Queenscliff to Freshwater