Hunter MP Joel Fitzgibbon has called for all levels of government to work together to fix flood problems at Testers Hollow.
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He raised the issue in Federal Parliament on Wednesday in response to statements about the impacts of natural disasters from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.
It came amid a joint campaign by Fairfax Media and the Hunter community to get a solution to ongoing inundation of the main road at Testers Hollow, which was closed for almost a week after a major storm in January.
It was the second lengthy closure at Testers Hollow in 12 months.
Mr Fitzgibbon said he had heard of many people in his electorate who had been devastated by the April super storm, only to be affected again last month.
“It is time for the state government to do something about the access to Gillieston Heights,” he said.
“I went to school in Maitland, travelling from my home town of Cessnock, and the school bus was cut off regularly at Testers Hollow, the roadway through just before Gillieston Heights.
“I am now 54, and still in heavy rains and floods the access to Gillieston Heights is still being blocked by floods.
“We are in the 21st century and it is time the state government became very serious about making sure that is not the case and that the residents of Gillieston Heights are not stranded in the way they were during the April storms and again recently.
“They should never have to experience that again in this modern world.”
Mr Fitzgibbon told Parliament that money should not be a barrier to finding a solution to the problem, which he labelled such an important project.
“It does not have to be the lifting of the road. There might be other solutions – for example, a different route for the road,” he said.
“I have heard some alternatives, but whatever it is it should be done and it should be done quickly.
“Indeed, all three levels of government should be working together to make sure that is the case.”
Mr Fitzgibbon said these events served as a reminder that people cannot control the weather.
“So we should be taking a public policy approach that reassures people that, as best we can, we are making sure that the activities of the human race are not making those events more likely.”
