Wingecarribee Shire Mayor, Councillor Duncan Gair has today announced that emergency council funding will be directed to Wombeyan Caves Road to assist in fast-tracking its repair.

“Council’s Finance Committee, which consists of all councilors and senior staff of Council, has this week allocated an additional $200,000 towards repairing the road and completing additional urgent maintenance works,” the Mayor said.

The funding is subject to ratification of the Finance Committee’s minutes which will be tabled at next week’s Ordinary Council Meeting.

“This commitment is on top of the existing $500,000 that has already been spent this year on rehabilitation and maintenance of the road.”

Wombeyan Caves Road has been closed from the Goodman’s Ford crossing since late January when heavy rains washed away a section of the road immediately east of the caves making passage extremely hazardous.

“Since the storms forced us to close the road Council has lobbied the NSW State Government for assistance,” Councillor Gair said.

“Unfortunately we haven’t received any commitment from either the Minister or the Department of Roads and Maritime Services,” the Mayor said. “Council therefore decided to allocate these extra funds as a priority so regular users of the road have an assurance as to its future.”

No date has yet been set for the road’s reopening.

“Today’s additional allocation of funds is a commitment from Council to open Wombeyan Caves Road as soon as possible,” Councillor Gair added.

“However before this occurs a lot of preparation work must first be undertaken,” he said. “This includes undertaking extensive geotechnical examinations of the slip areas, sourcing materials and allocating contractors.”

While the road remains open from the Mittagong entrance to the Goodman’s Ford crossing, Council advises motorists wishing to visit the caves to travel via the alternate sealed Taralga entrance.

“Residents should view this announcement as an assurance from Council that we are treating Wombeyan Caves Road as a priority.”

“In the interim, Council will continue to lobby the State Government, in particular the Hon Duncan Gay Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight about the future funding of this historic regional road.”