Roads and Maritime Services has pledged to upgrade Testers Hollow to provide at least one in 20 year flood immunity.
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RMS Hunter Region director Anna Zycki confirmed the proposed upgrade standard to Fairfax Media, which is in line with the Australian Design Rules for new roads.
Its not the gold standard some frustrated residents had hoped for, but it will be a vast improvement on the roads current status of one in two year flood immunity.
The new information comes after Paterson MP Meryl Swanson sought a briefing with RMS for an update on the project.
She said it would be great for Testers Hollow to have one in 100 year flood immunity, but believed the fix needed to be the most affordable for right now.
The nearby Hunter Expressway was built for one in 100 flood immunity, but the RMS says thats because it is part of the national highway.
Ms Swanson said greater immunity would cost a lot more and delay the project while funds were obtained.
We could build it to one in 100, but it could cost five to six times higher, she said.
We want the best, but its about getting the best value.
If they build it to one in 20, thats far superior to what weve got now. It will do the job well into the future.
I just want to see something started. We dont want to wait 10 years.
The flood prone stretch between Gillieston Heights and Cliftleigh has flooded four times in the last 11 years and has been an ongoing source of community outrage.
In an effort to reduce such traffic disruption in times of flooding, the RMS is planning to redesign the alignment and level of the road.
Fairfax Media was unable to confirm the proposed height for the road upgrade however the RMS said that flood modelling for the project was still underway.
The project is being funded mostly by the Federal Government, which promised $15 million towards a fix, while the NSW Government has also thrown in $2 million.
Ms Swanson said if the project blows the $17 million budget, she would like the state to commit the extra funding, up to $15 million, to match the federal allocation.
I think thats fair, she said. Im really looking forward to seeing the preferred option.
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Sage Swinton
Sage Swinton is a news reporter who was born and bred in the Hunter. She has been with the Newcastle Herald since June 2020, and covers Newcastle council as well as other general news.
Sage Swinton is a news reporter who was born and bred in the Hunter. She has been with the Newcastle Herald since June 2020, and covers Newcastle council as well as other general news.
