The West Dapto population boom is coming – but one of the main links to the M1 poses a high risk to commuters, Wollongong Lord Mayor Tania Brown said. Photo: Wollongong City Council.
The Kembla Grange railway crossing could become a thing of the past – if someone were to stump up the cash for an extension of Northcliffe Drive.
An extension would provide a vital flood-proof connection to the M1 for West Dapto residents who are at risk of being cut off in heavy rainfall.
A Northcliffe Drive extension wouldn’t come cheap, however, especially if it included a railway flyover.
In a mayoral minute, Wollongong Lord Mayor Tania Brown urged the council to write to the NSW Minister for Transport and local members of parliament to highlight the need for a safer way for West Dapto residents to cross the railway line.
“The existing level crossing at Kembla Grange is a high risk, and the population who uses it is set to grow,” she said.
“The West Dapto urban release area is nationally significant for housing supply; a critical part of this expansion is the Northcliffe Drive extension and the West Dapto ring road.
“This is a regionally significant transport project … we need to get it right and have confidence it’s something the State Government is willing to address.”
The West Dapto population is expected to grow to about 56,500 people over the next 50 years.
Residents of the area, which lacks a number of essential facilities, are often left isolated as a result of flooding.
The level railway crossing was the site of a train derailment in October 2021, after a passenger train struck a van that was abandoned on the tracks.
The driver and two passengers were seriously injured after the front carriage separated from the rest of the train, left the tracks and struck a power pole.
Councillor Linda Campbell said the need for a reliable road link and the danger of the level crossing were top of mind for many West Dapto residents.
“It’s time we started making some noise,” she said.
“Within three minutes of speaking to any West Dapto resident about what is missing they will invariably say a road link, this crossing and a school.
“It’s very important to the existing and future population.”
The mayoral minute was carried unanimously, but it’s too early to tell if the call for funds will be met with support from the NSW Government.
