Gilmore MP Fiona Phillips is putting the call out to the Illawarra to visit Kangaroo Valley now that all roads are open to the tiny town. Photo: Supplied.
After more than two years of work to repair 38 major landslips around Kangaroo Valley, the tiny township is back in business and keen to welcome visitors.
The final landslip road works on Bunkers Hill Road at Barrengarry have finished, completing a $59 million remediation package targeting 38 major landslips in Kangaroo Valley and surrounding communities.
The area was declared a natural disaster area following severe weather and flooding in March 2022. It forced the closure of a number of roads and resulted in long delays and detours for residents.
Federal Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips is encouraging Illawarra residents to take a day trip to Kangaroo Valley to show their support for locals and businesses.
“The businesses of Kangaroo Valley have done it tough following a series of landslips that restricted access for locals and visitors alike,” she said.
“The completion of works, including the opening of a section of Wattamolla Road at Barrengarry, means people can now take a scenic drive from Berry to Kangaroo Valley and enjoy everything the village has to offer.
“I really hope people will head over the hill and support the small businesses in Kangaroo Valley where you can enjoy morning tea at one of the cafes, lunch at the pub and shop till you drop in the variety of local specialty shops.”
Mrs Phillips said the completion of works was a huge relief for residents.
“I saw firsthand the devastating impact these landslips had on our local communities,” she said.
“People were often isolated and had to undergo huge changes to their circumstances just to go about their day-to-day lives.
“There was a time when stock feed had to be choppered into local properties for cattle. It really was devastating.”
Mrs Phillips said the record-breaking rainfall, the terrain, the widespread damage and the risks associated with the landslip works across the region provided a logistical challenge for geotechnical engineers and work crews.
“The task to fully remediate 38 landslips has been a mammoth undertaking resulting in the delivery of robust and fully remediated roads,” she said.
“The opening marks an incredible milestone that is a testament to the resilience of our community and the dedication of the project team to get the job done.”
Construction group Symal carried out the work, which was jointly funded by the Australian and NSW governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
The project to repair the landslips entailed:
- 1000 bored concrete piles, a total of 7700 metres drilled
- 1.6 km of capping beams formed and poured to tie the piles together to reduce movement
- 3600 cubic metres of concrete used for piles, capping beams and shotcrete
- 1050 soil nails (steel bars used to reinforce slopes)
- 19,500 tonnes of imported quarry products, including stone, shale, crushed rock, ballast
- 225,000 worker hours.
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