Flood emergency: Council to levy governments for funding of upgrades
Both the Narrandera Shire Council Mayor Neville Kschenka and General Manager George Cowan will lobby the State and Federal Governments for funding for upgrades to highways as well as the town’s water supply and stormwater systems ... Submissions will be lodged with the NSW Government seeking support for routine flood damage repairs, highlighting the importance of betterment to the Newell and Sturt Highways and the Narrandera town water supply and stormwater systems.
Detour distress
On any given day, the streets of Moulamein would see the odd fisherman or ute laden with dogs trundling by, but not last week. Moulamein was the highway of detour distress ... From road trains to hot rods, race cars to caravans, Moulamein exploded with Sturt Highway traffic desperately trying to find their way without the traditional Sydney to Adelaide route.
Farmers and regional Victorians miss out on election promises: VFF
The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) has revealed its State Election Scorecard rating the promises made by the major parties ahead of this weekend’s election. The VFF’s Election Scorecard scores the promises made by Labor and the Coalition according to the commitments that the VFF sought as part of its ‘Fair Go for Regional Vic’ campaign.
Emergency funding pipeline critical for grain flow: GPA
Grain Producers Australia is calling on federal political leaders to deliver urgent solutions to fix infrastructure damage that’s having devastating impacts on farm viability and community safety ... The severe and untimely weather is also having a major impact on local road networks, exacerbating an already strained grains supply chain – not only on the east coast of Australia.
Floods impact businesses as supplies run short
Major flooding of the Murrumbidgee River at Narrandera is having such a detrimental effect on local business that some have been forced to close their doors. One of the main problems these businesses are facing is delivery trucks being unable to access the town due to flood-affected roads being closed. One business which has been badly affected this week was the Early Opener, which could have temporarily changed its name to the Early Closer on Monday.
Bulka bags fill breach
A complex aerial operation has placed bulka bags filled with 78,000 kilograms of sand along a levee bank west of the Loddon River at Kerang. The levee bank, situated near properties and major arterial roads linking Kerang to Swan Hill, Boort and Quambatook, breached when the Loddon River reached major flood levels in late October.
Reconsider all travel as floods wreak havoc on roads in regional NSW: Farraway
Motorists are being urged to reconsider their travel plans, after floodwaters closed or damaged major roads and highways across the Central Tablelands, Central West, Orana and Far West. Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway said heavy storms on Sunday and Monday morning brought falls of 120 millimetres of rain from the Blue Mountains to the Far West, causing significant damage to roads, bridges and transport infrastructure.
Infrastructure Australia report vindicates the position of the Hartley Valley community
Infrastructure Australia has released its business case assessment of the East and West sections of the proposed upgrade of the Great Western Highway ... The Hartley Valley community has been vindicated by the Infrastructure Australia report and we are delighted the Federal Government’s infrastructure advisor has shown what a nonsense this upgrade of the East and West sections truly is.
Infrastructure Australia releases its independent evaluation of nine proposals
Infrastructure Australia has released its independent evaluation of the business cases for the following proposals in line with the Infrastructure Australia Assessment Framework ... Great Western Highway (Katoomba to Lithgow) Upgrade Program – East & West Sections (NSW) ...
The good and bad of the budget
Last week’s Federal Budget held a few incentives for Narrandera and other centres covered by the Narrandera Argus, including funding for key health worker accommodation across the Murrumbidgee Local Health District, a Leeton hospital upgrade, Griffith Hospital redevelopment plus Stronger Country Communities funding for Lockhart and The Rock swimming pools and continuation of the NSW Koala Strategy aimed at doubling koala numbers in NSW by 2050 ... However ...
Archer disaster
A major miscalculation has put the Archer River bridge project back a year and there are fears that Cape residents could face at least two more wet seasons without it. What’s worse, there is also some concern that unfinished civil works on the roads around the Archer River Roadhouse could cut off motorists for months when the rain arrives.
Great Western Highway upgrade
The Hartley District Progress Association (HDPA) and the community of Hartley welcome the Federal Government’s decision to pause funding on the NSW State Government’s proposed Great Western Highway “upgrade” from Katoomba to Lithgow. Stopping the “upgrade” provides a critical opportunity to reconsider how best to improve travel times across the Blue Mountains and how best to direct infrastructure funding.
Flood damaged culvert replaced with concrete bridge
Lismore City Mayor Steve Krieg and Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Premier Gurmesh Singh have opened the new Keerrong Road Bridge ... specialist Bridge Crew replaced the damaged culvert with a new 16.1m x 7.2m single span concrete structure. This new structure founded on steel driven piles has been designed and constructed to achieve a 100-year design life while improving its flood immunity and safety for local farmers and truck drivers.
A vision splendid for the Central West and Western Tablelands: from a Bells Expressway
From a Concerned Citizen: Messers Toole and Farraway are vocal proponents of the so-called “upgrade” of the Great Western Highway from Katoomba to Lithgow. ... The project does not deliver an expressway to Sydney - it leaves the Central West and Western Tablelands the only region in NSW without an expressway to Sydney ... The vision that should be adopted and made a reality is a standalone expressway between Western Sydney and Lithgow: the Bells Expressway.
Floods – The road to recovery
In our immediate area, we are lucky: the floods have been and gone while others across the State and beyond are still living with the uncertainty and dangers of rising river levels. For our region, it’s on to the recovery stage. The Times visited the Baringhup Caravan Park last weekend to view the damage following a massive release of water from Cairn Curran reservoir.
Big wet causes chaos
More than three times the average October rainfall has already fallen in Narrandera this month with more than 100mm drenching Narrandera in the first three weeks of October. The deluge has caused chaos with many roads being closed.
Highway upgrades achieving flood immunity objectives
Rodney Stevens. A hydrological mitigation report on the Glenugie to Devlis Pulpit section of the Pacific Highway published by Transport for NSW shows the upgraded road is achieving its objectives of improving flood immunity. The report describes flood behaviour in the region, Transport for NSW’s flood management objectives, flood model outcomes, design and mitigation, and future planning.
Shovelling cash into potholes: Funding for road repair
No one needs the government to tell them the roads are bad. Especially after the floods earlier this year and the continuing wet weather. The good news is the State Government is offering $50 million specifically for fixing potholes.
Real time traffic info arrives in the regions: Farraway
Real time traffic information is now available to motorists using local roads across 22 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in regional NSW. Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway welcomed the launch of the first expansion to the Live Traffic NSW website, which will see the addition of local road information alongside any impacts on the state-managed road network.
Undera – left to its own devices during the flood
The small community of Undera in northern Victoria is pulling together during the floods. It has been reported to Australian Rural & Regional News that, as at 18 October 2022, it had had no assistance from council, the ADF or any authorities with sandbags, levees or with fighting the flood ... It is concerning that this dire situation may be being repeated across a wide area of rural and regional Victoria.
Councils need Federal funding support for emergency road repairs
“Relentless rain and flooding has led to many regional roads falling into severe disrepair and the expected deluge this week will only exacerbate the problem. I have driven on many regional roads recently and have spoken to several regional Mayors and they all agree the roads have never been worse – anywhere you go": Federal Member for Riverina Michael McCormack.
Council dodges potholes in government funding to fix dangerous roads
The Clarence Way is close to breaking point, Kyogle Council general manager Graham Kennett said. “Despite the best efforts of our maintenance crews, the road is literally falling apart in sections behind them,” Mr Kennett said.
