Caravans, campfires amid NSW road network ‘milestone’ on Cobb Hwy
As the state’s road network reaches a historic milestone the crew working across rural NSW outback have described the ‘camaraderie’ at their makeshift caravan site, fitted out with a vegetable patch and campfire.
As the state’s road network reaches a historic milestone the crew working across hundreds of kilometres of rural NSW outback have described the “camaraderie” at their makeshift caravan site, fitted out with a homemade vegetable patch, a mini golf range, and connected online with Elon Musk’s Starlink.
The Cobb Hwy, a 600km stretch of state highway running between Wilcannia in northwest NSW to the Victorian border, has now been ‘sealed’ – the first time in history the entire state road network has been sealed.
The crews who completed the mammoth task, given the remoteness of the project, made camp, pitched caravans and – after a long day on the job – relaxed by campfire with chat, songs and, Transport for NSW works supervisor Kevin Bath said, “a few beers”.
“We’ve had to make own fun,” Mr Bath told The Australian.
“We’ve made a golf course, a vegetable garden – some of us go prospecting, but with little luck!”
The makeshift caravan site is about three hours south of Broken Hill, where the final sealing of the road took place over the past few days, before a grand opening later in November, and is connected to the internet via Tesla’s Starlink satellite.
“We finish work, sit around the fire, one or two beers to unwind – talk and just banter with each other,” Mr Bath said.
The works supervisor said it was “pretty huge undertaking” and was a “milestone”.
“It’s nice to know in our hearts that we played a part in building this,” he said.
“It gives us great pride, and means the public can better enjoy this beautiful road.”
State governments stretching back to 2011 have collectively invested almost $200m to sealing 132km of the Cobb Hwy, but also about 150km of the Silver City Hwy.
Mr Bath said it would transform safety.
“Freight trucks and livestock that need to travel on bitumen, it’ll be safer and easier for them, with less breakdowns,” he said.
“For police and first responders, it’ll be easier and safer for them in emergencies, with quicker response times.”
Regional Roads and Transport Minister Jenny Aitchison praised the work of the team who made the road their home.
“Our civil construction crews are the unseen heroes toiling tirelessly to connect the Far West,” the minister said.
“They deliver critical infrastructure projects, living away from civilisation for months at a time and relocating as required to make every day a little smoother and safer for regional road users.”
Ms Aitchison said “unlike many fly-in fly-out jobs” the crew working on the Cobb Hwy moved where the work took them.
“There is however a spirit of camaraderie wherever they set up camp and each member of our team is surrounded by a supportive travelling community of workmates,” she said.
“The crews live and work side-by-side for extended periods of time in their unique home away from home, and I’m incredibly proud of how they look out for one another.”
The sealing of the stretch would result in less closures, more resilience to weather events, greater economic opportunities for local and interstate businesses who use or are based along the road, and improve safety.
Mr Bath, when asked how he would relax after the reopening in mid-November, said he’d be going back to familiar surroundings.
“I’m going to the Gold Coast to relax and unwind, but, funnily enough, I’m staying in a caravan park,” he said.
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