Blue Mountains News

Council also continues to advocate for additional natural disaster funding for the Megalong Valley, given the area has borne the brunt of multiple natural disasters in recent years.

Blue Mountains Mayor, Cr Mark Greenhill, said: “Access issues into the Megalong Valley can only be resolved by all three levels of government working together – and that is occurring.

“Council has already secured more than $6 million for the valley since Megalong Road was first shut in 2021, when the first natural disaster hit, but this is only a small fraction of what is now required.

“An incredible amount of work has occurred since 2021. Repairs to Megalong Road had been ongoing and unavoidable, due to the size and complexity of the repair works required. This was unprecedented, the first time around.

“And we understand the absolute devastation currently being felt by the Megalong Valley community, that natural disaster has occurred again. We, too, are devastated. It’s not fair to this wonderful community, or to the broader Blue Mountain local government area.

“But this issue is bigger than Council,” Mayor Greenhill said.

“The full cost of road repair in the Megalong Valley is more than Council’s total annual income. We’ve spent more on Megalong Valley roads recently, than all other roads in the Blue Mountains.

“We need significant help from State and Federal governments in regards to disaster infrastructure funding.

“Like-for-like funding doesn’t work in examples like this.  We can’t replace infrastructure to a standard that it was before the natural disaster.  What’s the point of that?

“Megalong Road was built in the early 1900s. It’s not designed to take the impact of multiple natural disasters and extreme flooding events. We have to build it back, at a better quality, for the sake of the Megalong Valley community and economy.

“This is going to take all levels of government, and we need short, medium and long term plans finalised.”