After years of campaigning by local group Fix The Brown, the State and Federal Governments have committed $2.6 million in funding through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) to fix the Brown Mountain road.
Work will be carried out from Monday, 8 April 2024, about 800 metres west of the Brown Mountain Power Station, to repair significant damage caused by severe weather events in 2022.
Transport for NSW has appointed specialist ground engineering contractors, Piling & Concreting Australia (PCA), to repair the landslip damage and fully restore the road at this location.
Eden Monaro MP, Kristy McBain, said the repairs will begin with the largest of nine landslip sites on the Snowy Mountains Highway.
“The ongoing closures associated with landslips and rockfalls on Brown Mountain are frustrating for all of us who use the highway, which is why the Albanese and Minns Labor Governments are working together to kickstart this crucial repair work,” Minister McBain said.
“This is one of Brown Mountain’s biggest ever repair jobs and will be fantastic for locals and tourists – with this new infrastructure to go a long way to preventing further erosion and to improving road safety on the busy Snowy Mountains Highway.”
Specialist contractors, Piling & Concreting Australia, will drill and install more than three kilometres of seven-metre-long steel rods, known as soil nails, to anchor a section of failed slope on the mountain, before applying a layer of spray-on concrete to prevent further erosion.
The announcement comes just weeks after Federal Liberal candidate for Eden Monaro, Joanne Vanderplaat, called out the State and Federal Labor Governments on delaying the work for too long, saying natural disasters and rain can only be used as an excuse for inaction on Brown Mountain for so long.
“One of those stop lights (on Brown Mountain) has been there since 2022, it hasn’t rained every day for two years,” Ms Vanderplaat said.
“We welcome anything that says the South East region is going to be a priority.”
NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Jenny Aitchison, said this latest repair work on the Snowy Mountains Highway at Brown Mountain marks a significant step towards restoring the region’s vital transport infrastructure between the ACT and the South Coast.
“The work, which will take about 20 weeks to complete, has been planned to keep traffic moving while also ensuring the safety of motorists and workers,” Minister Aitchison said.
The repair work will be carried out with large machinery and workers operating in an area about as wide as a standard single car garage to repair a site about the size of a suburban house block, which creates some unique challenges and risks.
“For this reason, a 200-metre section of the highway will be reduced to a single lane, with temporary barriers and traffic lights in place 24 hours for the duration of the work,” Minister Aitchison said.
In addition to this latest work, contracts are expected to be finalised soon for more repairs to be carried out this year at another three landslips on Brown Mountain.
Tenders are also being assessed for a site about one-and-a-half kilometres east of the Fred Piper Memorial Lookout that has been limited to a single lane due to the extensive damage on the road.
During the repair work, motorists are advised to allow an extra five minutes to travel times and drive to conditions and Transport for NSW asked the community to be patience while these important repairs are carried out.
Member for Bega Dr Michael Holland said it’s great to see work progressing on Brown Mountain.
“The Australian and NSW Governments are making steady progress in our natural disaster recovery efforts along several key state roads,” Dr Holland said.
“The completion of repairs on over half of the 100 landslip sites managed by Transport for NSW in the Illawarra and South Coast regions is a testament to their dedication to restoring connectivity and resilience in our communities.”
NSW Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education and Member for Monaro, Steve Whan, has welcomed the funding commitment to ensure the Brown Mountain road is safe and reliable for all those who use it.
“As the major arterial road connecting the NSW Sapphire Coast with Canberra, Brown Mountain is used not only by tourists during the Winter and Summer seasons, but by ambulances and transport services each-and-every day,” Minister Whan said.
“The closures over the last couple of years due to landslips caused by unprecedented rain, have greatly impacted the electorates of Monaro and Bega.”
“I will continue working with my colleagues in both state and federal government to advocate for a long term solution to the Brown Mountain section of the Snowy Mountains Highway.”
Images: NSW SES, Terry Kim Dixon, Bega Valley Shire Council, East Coast Radio,
