As the closure of Victoria Pass continues indefinitely, Lithgow City Council is taking practical steps to support our community in the current absence of requested Government assistance
As a member body of the recently established Great Western Highway Taskforce, Lithgow City Council is actively partnering with Transport for NSW to find and implement workable solutions to the challenges emerging from the closure of Victoria Pass and diversion of traffic through Lithgow.
The Mayor of Lithgow, Cassandra Coleman, is calling for the NSW Government to establish an ongoing on-the-ground presence in Lithgow to demonstrate their stated commitment to the impacted community. "The NSW Government needs to be present and face-to-face with our community in order to directly provide support and guidance during this unprecedented impact through this closure. For example, a staffed shopfront presence by Transport for NSW and the NSW Reconstruction Authority in the centre of town would demonstrate the community's expectation of engagement," said the Mayor.
The Council are working with Transport for NSW to ensure the implementation of critical safety upgrades to State owned roads, adjoining Council owned roads and crossings in the LGA in response to the significantly increased volume of traffic now moving through the town. Mayor Cassandra Coleman also advised that "Council are working to understand how the sudden increase of highway traffic is impacting our local roads and it is clear that changes will need to be made to accommodate the highway which is now passing through the middle of Lithgow".
The Mayor referred to Council's early discussions with Transport for NSW saying "Transport have recommended solutions that attempt to address some pre-existing safety concerns, the community is expecting to see these improvements being delivered even if it did take closing the Great Western Highway to force the State Government to take a more focussed look at their assets in Regional NSW."
The Mayor highlighted the significant impact that the increased amount of traffic is having on the local road network saying "Our local roads surfaces are already degrading as more and more drivers seek out short cuts on back streets. This impact to our local roads is simply not sustainable for the Council or the community and we need financial support across all Government departments to help us."
While Mayor Coleman welcomed a collaborative approach, she highlighted the need for the NSW Government to deliver Whole-of-Government financial support to the Lithgow LGA.
"With no end in sight to this major impact we need a stronger commitment from the NSW Government to the community who are left to deal with this highway closure. This will be an ongoing matter, and we need support for our local businesses, community groups and our residents who are continuing to bear the brunt of the closure."
