Despite the efforts of Kempsey Shire Council who are working daily alongside other agencies to reinstate access and support those affected, properties remain cut off on the far side of the Toose Road landslip.
On Thursday 31 March a major landslip closed Toose Road in the Upper Macleay during the flood and extensive rain. The following Tuesday Council inspected the site in conjunction with an expert engineering geologist. It was determined that the slip of around 90 meters in length was, and is, still moving and significantly unstable.
A second independent geotechnical report confirmed that due to the nature of the slip, any repairs would be highly complex and could take as long as two years at a cost upward of $15 million.
In mid-April, Council had the first of several meetings with affected residents and landholders to discuss immediate and long-term options to restore access. Since that time Council's upriver unsealed roads crew and specialist teams have been constructing an alternative gravel access road as the immediate short-term priority.
The work has involved widening and resheeting existing linking roads, converting gates to cattle grids, cutting, clearing and building kilometres of new road and specialist equipment for the final challenging cutting.
Council's community and recovery staff have also been working with the families that live on properties that are isolated helping with the day-to-day needs and supplies. This has included hiring cars to station across the river, coordinating air lifts of people, supplies and cattle/pig feed or bringing mechanics in to service farm machinery.
Kempsey Shire Council General Manager, Craig Milburn, said he was proud of the extensive help Council had provided while still feeling frustrated on behalf of the residents.
"Council staff are also passionate local residents so we all feel for those impacted by the landslip and just want to see the situation remedied," said Mr Milburn.
"Unfortunately, the March flood created this long term problem of a landslip in isolated, steep terrain that is the very definition of a natural disaster."
"We've prioritised restoring access and diverted resources to work as fast as possible on this significant but incredibly challenging short-term road construction. We acknowledge that for some landholders there are particular needs in relation to moving their cattle and wieners which present complex transport needs that are still being assessed."
Council has also petitioned and advocated government agencies such as Services Australia, Service NSW and the Australian Defence Force on behalf of the residents to consider these challenging circumstances and possible solutions. In May Council met individually with affected residents to work through support and funding options.
"At a community meeting in May the local state Member Melinda Pavey advised the group of affected residents that there is significant funding available for this issue," said Mr Milburn.
"That funding is disaster infrastructure funding managed through Transport NSW and it is what will support construction of the short-term access route and the multimillion investment into restoring a public access route in the longer term."
"The solutions focussed effort that staff, the farmers and residents themselves have applied to this issue is to be applauded."
"That effort won't stop now. Council is this week meeting again with affected landholders and residents who are cut off to update the status of the short term road construction and present the preliminary concepts for work to restore long term public access to the area.
The work that Council has undertaken includes:
- provided multiple engineering assessments of the landslip
- worked with affected families to meet individual family needs and to provide medical and personal supplies
- partnered with agencies to provide transport options for residents and produce including multiple helicopter lifts of animal feed and for an injured child
- fast-tracked the planning and state government approvals process for alternate routes
- provided comprehensive weekly updates to affected residents and landholders
- held public meetings for those affected to ensure accurate information sharing
- enabled landholders to apply for hardship assistance with rate payments
Why can't we just fix the road?
There is one question that dominates the Toose Road conversation. Why can't the landslip just get fixed?
Council has commissioned two specialist geotechnical reports on the existing slip site.
They independently determined that it is highly dangerous and still moving, and in fact the site of a much larger original landslip. Seismic field investigations have indicated that at the slip site, hard rock can only be found at around 17-35 meters depth, making road construction incredibly unsafe, noting the 50 metre sheer drop to the Macleay River at that site.
Council acknowledges that the residents and landholders are incredibly resilient farmers who have an incredible hands-on approach to problem solving, but the identified risk means Council cannot and won't support landholders putting themselves at risk and trying to repair it.
Learn more at Toose Road landslip
