A South Coast council spokesperson says a road needs to be closed for key repairs, but some residents aren’t happy with how it’s been managed. Photo: Supplied.
Rolling road closures in Eurobodalla Shire have drawn the ire of some residents, who claim their council didn’t consider the impacts on residents.
Sections of Araluen Road are being progressively closed from March as Eurobodalla Shire Council (ESC) carries out stabilising work to prevent further landslides and to repair damage from past landslides.
The mostly unsealed road connects Moruya, on the South Coast, with inland towns such as Araluen and Braidwood.
In a statement to Region, an ESC spokesperson said the closures were needed to prevent further damage.
“It is important to note that this work is essential for improving long-term road reliability,” they said.
“Without it, we risk roadside collapse and much longer-term road closures, which can have devastating impacts on residents due to the inability to plan for such events.”
Araluen resident Patricia Gardiner, who has called the village home for 44 years, said the closures came with little consideration of the impact on her community.
“Council didn’t come out and speak to us. Neither the general managers nor the councillors came out to talk to us … there was no-one to listen to our concerns and the troubles we were going to have,” she said.
Ms Gardiner said she had spoken with several other residents about how the road closures would affect them travelling for work, school and other appointments.
During the closures, Araluen Road is closed to cars, though ESC says people can walk or cycle through the closed sections – options Ms Gardiner says aren’t realistic.
“It’s a fair way to walk – and to walk, it means you’ve got to have a car on either side [to arrive at the closure],” she said.
“It’s awkward to organise [a trip as a group] because people work, you’re busy at different times to other people, so that makes it awkward.”
She also alleged residents were wary of leaving their vehicles because of vandalism concerns.
In the statement, the council spokesperson said the road needed to be fully closed because it was too narrow to accommodate both traffic and repair works.
“Large sections of the road need to be removed to allow construction of retaining walls on which to rebuild the road,” they said.
“With the downhill side of the road missing, insufficient room remains for vehicles to pass safely.”
The spokesperson said council had carried out a letterbox drop, contacted various agencies and sent emails to some residents, four months before the works started, to warn them of the closures.
According to the Live Traffic NSW notification, the closures will move towards Moruya as the work continues. Image: Live Traffic NSW.
Residents affected by the road closure have been advised to use the Kings Highway as a detour. Additionally, Larrys Mountain Road will serve as an alternate route during certain phases of the work.
However, Ms Gardiner said taking the suggested detours came with not only a financial cost, but brought on “inconvenience” and “emotional stress”.
“I’ll be going to do a weekly shop in Braidwood, which takes me just over an hour to get to,” she said.
“Any appointments I’ve got, I will have to go to Braidwood, down the Clyde Mountain to Batemans Bay and then down south to get to my appointment at the hospital.
“If I want to see family and friends – or anyone – that’s the way I’d have to go.”
Council’s spokesperson said the council had sought to manage the closure by providing weekly email updates to residents and that it might be able to allow some vehicle travel through the closure sites outside work hours.
“We have been coordinating with the local school bus company to accommodate the twice-daily bus runs wherever possible,” they said.
Emergency services have also been made aware of the closures, and provided with specific property addresses so they can identify which station would be closest.
“The road impacts have been discussed at recent Local Emergency Management Committee meetings, and emergency responses will be managed accordingly, whether by road or air,” they said.
The works are expected to be finished by June. This round of work follows previous repairs to the road in 2023 after the Black Summer bushfires, and floods, damaged it.
Updates and further information on the project can be found on council’s website.
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