A natural disaster has been declared for the Shoalhaven following the severe weather that significantly impacted parts of the region on Thursday 6 and Friday 7 June.
Areas worst affected by flooding include Greenwell Point, Sussex Inlet, Sanctuary Point and Old Erowal Bay where a culvert and road pavement failure has closed The Wool Road.
Carey McIntyre, Director City Services, said that while the damages across the city were still being assessed, the repair bill is expected to run into the millions.
“This is the Shoalhaven’s 15th natural disaster in the last four years, and they continue to have a major impact on our communities through damage to properties, infrastructure and the environment,” Mr McIntyre said.
“The flood damage will take us many months to clean up and repair, while putting a strain on our finances at a time when we can least afford it,” he said.
Mr McIntyre said the residents of the Bay and Basin area were feeling the impact of the flooding after a road collapse on The Wool Road between Vincentia and Old Erowal Bay.
“This is a live situation that is evolving. Our staff understand that this is a priority road and have been doing everything possible to start remediation as soon as possible,” Mr McIntyre said.
Detours are in place via Tomerong but adding 20 minutes to trips. School buses and transport links are being maintained via alternative routes.
A very preliminary consideration of the damage indicates the rehabilitation of this key road could take up to 10 months to repair, with interim crossings, if they are possible, or shuttle buses being considered in the short term. Preliminary cost estimates are in the order of $1.2 million to repair. The community can subscribe for updates from the dedicated project page.
Other major road damage across the region include:
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Central - Yerrigong Rd, Ocean Street Culburra, Crookhaven Pde, Yarramunmun Bridge access road, Wattle Creek fire trail, Bamarang Rd, Forrest Rd and Greenwell Point Rd.
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Basin - The Wool Rd, Naval College Rd, Grange Rd, Mortimer Rd, Falls Rd in Falls Creek, Pine Forest Rd.
Council is waiving its waste depot disposal fees for flood-damaged waste and green waste resulting from the storm event to help the community with the costs of cleaning up.
Residents can dispose of flood-damaged waste free-of-charge at any of Council’s recycling and waste depots during normal depot opening days and times until Tuesday 25 June 2024.
The waiver covers damaged building materials, furniture, garden debris and any other flood-related products.
NSW Reconstruction Authority is hosting face-to-face flood recovery support and community BBQ in Sanctuary Point this Thursday between 11am and 6pm where the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Legal Aid, and other services will be available.
The Reconstruction Authority has also announced support for flood-affected communities with assistance being provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA). For information relating to financial assistance, replacing lost documents or other recovery support, please visit www.nsw.gov.au/emergency/recovery.