Residents, business owners raise concerns of Audley Weir flooding crisis
Residents and business owners want Transport for NSW to take responsibility for the management of Audley Weir. When it floods, it prevents visitors accessing the Royal National Park.
St George Shire Standard
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Residents of two towns tucked away in the idyllic Royal National Park are not only faced with a longer trip every time there is significant rainfall but their journey has become a dangerous headache.
Audley Weir is a well-known flood risk for not only residents of Bundeena and Maianbar but also those who want to visit the area.
Bureau of Meteorology data shows there has been 1622mm of rainfall in the location from November 21 to May this year.
That is the 10th wettest location recorded in Greater Sydney.
The weir is on Sir Bertram Stevens Drive and is the main access point into the national park.
Residents and business owners are calling for solutions in the immediate and long term future for better access.
They want Transport for NSW to take responsibility for maintaining the weir and have better communication when the road is closed when the weir floods and then re-opens, so cars can safely cross.
Bundeena resident Helen Armstrong and her husband Jeffery have lived in the small town for nearly 45 years and have seen Audley Weir flood countless times.
Mrs Armstrong said there were several issues including poor communication when the road is open or closed; unsatisfactory clearing of debris which makes the floodwater take longer to drain; and unsafe alternative routes.
“We want to see improved notifications because the current change of status time notification delays are unacceptable,” she said.
“We want the weir grate in the water and drains on the road cleared and for them to be kept them clear.
“Police also need to stop booking drivers for trying to drive on a dry weir, and instead help get the road open.”
Mrs Armstrong said the grate was supposed to stop debris but it was bent and now trees, wood and other material had been caught in the drain.
She wants to see the grate repaired to help allow water to properly flow through.
Mrs Armstrong said in the long-term Transport for NSW needed to develop a solution to the access problems resulting from regular flooding and repair the damage to the weir, particularly the bent grate, to prevent further damage.
“When the river floods, usually as the result of prolonged heavy rain, the road is covered by floodwater and is closed,” she said.
“We are then directed to take detours via McKell Ave, via Waterfall, or Lady Wakehurst Drive, via the Stanwell Tops and Helensburgh route. Our other access is passenger ferry.”
These trips can add 15 or more minutes to the journey.
The Traffic Management Centre has installed a camera to watch Audley Weir and monitor flooding.
The centre also manages the electronic message boards and the Live Traffic website and phone app which notifies of flooding events and other road closures.
Transport for NSW also sends out a contractor who visually inspects the weir and attends to raise or lower the barricades and manual signs once the weir is too flooded and unsafe or dry and able to be crossed.
“In past floods, notification was on-site and fast – maybe half an hour. Police assisted with road blocks as needed,” Mrs Armstrong said.
“Since it became automated, delays have been unacceptably slow. It can often be more than 12 hours before the road is reopened after floodwater has receded.
“Police, instead of helping by contacting Transport for NSW to get the road reopened, have been booking drivers for crossing a dry weir ‘contrary to a sign’.”
Mrs Armstrong wants to work with the government and other residents in a “productive, proactive and constructive” way to get solutions.
James Lancaster who owns and operates Audley Dance Hall cafe said his business had suffered significantly from the weir being closed for weeks over the prime business period, which was difficult to weather after Covid restrictions.
He would like to see the responsible agency take responsibility for the maintenance of the weir.
Mr Lancaster wants to see government agencies “stop passing the buck”.
“That is the part that is super frustrating,” he said. “Nobody managed it, no one is managing it. The contractors says it is too difficult or maybe too dangerous.”
Mr Lancaster said he had taken it upon himself to clear the drain of leaf debris with a pole and hook, which allows the water to drain from the road so it can be reopened more quickly.
He also noted the Royal National Park got six million domestic visitors a year and was the oldest park in Australia.
“It needs and deserves better love and attention,” Mr Lancaster said. “The infrastructure is not appropriate and is not fit for purpose.”
He noted there was a lot of money being spent on the park’s facilities, but not the main access point to it.
Bundeena resident Breanne Greer was mostly concerned about the potholes that opened up when the weir was flooded and residents had to go on McKell Ave, which can’t cope with the increased traffic.
“There were potholes across half the lane or both lanes,” she said. “It is hard to miss them and make you drive in middle road to avoid them, which is dangerous if a car is coming the other way.
“Most of them have been fixed but for a period it was dangerous, especially at night when it was foggy.”
Ms Greer would also like to see the ferry service between Cronulla and Bundeena hours extended so people who were commuting could catch it to return home.
Another resident Matt Ilic, who is a lieutenant colonel in the Australian Army, was concerned about how emergency service vehicles get to the towns when the weir was closed.
He volunteers with the SES and is a member of the Rural Fire Service.
“There needs to be an alternative route to Waterfall and Stanwell Tops, so people can get out safely in a bushfire threat,” he said.
“In an emergency, services need to get access to 2000 people and Audley Weir is the best route in and should remain open as much as possible.”
Mr Ilic also called on the signs to be updated more regularly once the weir was safe to drive over.
Allira Bell said she was in labour and had to go via Waterfall, which added 20 minutes to her already long journey.
“Not only that but the Waterfall route is more dangerous due to so much debris and overhanging trees, so when it’s raining it’s not an easy drive,” she said.
“I’d like to see better management of the weir, with someone taking ownership over regularly cleaning the drains.
“Accumulated debris stops the weir from properly draining, so often the weir is closed longer than it should be.”
A Transport for NSW spokesman said it carried out regular inspections of Audley Weir and removed any debris found.
“The closing and opening of the weir is managed by Transport for NSW in consultation with NSW Police, the State Emergency Service and National Parks and Wildlife Services, and detour signage is managed in collaboration with Connect Sydney,” he said.
“Transport for NSW fixes potholes on the state road network, including McKell Ave.”
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