Taskforce to help communities hit by Great Western Highway closure
NSW Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison with Lithgow mayor Cassandra Coleman whose community is in the firing line. (ABC Central West: Xanthe Gregory)
In short:
The Great Western Highway will remain shut for at least three months due to the failure of a convict-built bridge.
The usual disaster response mechanisms have not been triggered because the closure is not the result of a 'natural' disaster.
What's next?
The taskforce will hold its first meeting tomorrow.
For anyone living in places like Lithgow or Bathurst, the ongoing closure of the Great Western Highway is a disaster — but the problem is it does not fit the government's definition.
The major road between Sydney and the Central West is shut at Victoria Pass after cracking and movement was discovered in the nearly 200-year-old Mitchell's Causeway, known as the Convict Bridge.
The highway will remain closed for a minimum of three months.
"This closure is affecting businesses right across the Central West," Vicki Seccombe, the western regional director for Business NSW said.
"The flow-on effects have been quick and immediate and will probably grow as time goes on."
Not a 'natural' disaster
The NSW government is aware of the problem, but is scrambling to work out what can be done and where the money will come from.
The Convict Bridge was built in the 1830s and is a key section of the Great Western Highway. (Supplied: Transport for NSW)
As the damage to the convict-built bridge was not the result of something like a flood or fire, the government's typical disaster recovery funding mechanism cannot be used.
"That is one of the challenges," NSW Roads and Regional Transport Minister Jenny Aitchison said.
"It's not something we are used to dealing with, so we're having to start again if you like."
Financial support
During Question Time on Wednesday Premier Chris Minns said discussions about a financial support package were taking place, but as yet nothing has been announced for affected businesses, employees or the broader region.
"All of the funds and resources and capital we currently have, we're putting into fixing the road," Mr Minns said.
"If it's a prolonged closure we've spoken to the [Recovery] minister who's had preliminary discussions with the Commonwealth about ensuring that we can best help local communities get through a difficult period."
Charles Sturt University is an institution in Bathurst. (Clarissa Thorpe: ABC News)
Charles Sturt University is warning that Bathurst's reputation as a 'uni town' could be affected by the closure.
Vice-Chanellor Renée Leon said students might opt to take classes online or simply choose to study in Sydney or other regional cities that have better transport links.
"If future students and their parents see what a hazardous business it's going to be getting up and down from Bathurst to Sydney, it quite well might deter them," she said.
"We do feel pretty neglected here west of the divide."
Traffic through Little Hartley has ground to a halt as vehicles are diverted around, via Lithgow. (ABC Central West: Xanthe Gregory)
The diversions at Mount Victoria and Lithgow have meant vehicles are going around the typically busy townships in the Hartley Valley, causing business to significantly drop off.
The Lolly Bug at Little Hartley has lost about three-quarters of its usual foot traffic and is currently being propped up by the generosity of locals.
Bed and breakfasts in Bathurst are reporting cancellations, and a slight drop-off in crowd numbers is expected at the Food Week event in Orange, which begins tomorrow.
About 12,000 vehicles that used the Great Western Highway daily are travelling on alternative roads, including the Bells Line of Road.
Additional free public transport is running to help people get between Bathurst and Katoomba.
The Great Western Highway is shut at Victoria Pass, between Little Hartley and Mount Victoria. (ABC Central West: Xanthe Gregory)
Taskforce created
The state government has announced a new taskforce, to be chaired by the NSW Reconstruction Authority and Transport for NSW, and designed as a single point-of-contact for the government to engage with local councils, industry and community stakeholders.
"We know this is impacting a very broad area … there'll be different impacts felt in different areas," Ms Aitchison said.
"This is a really serious disruption, it's having a huge impact on community.
"Business, small business, tourism, freight are all experiencing issues that's why we have to have that broader response."
Ms Aitchison said the initiative would bring together numerous government agencies and ministers across multiple portfolios including Small Jobs and Tourism, Small Business and Recovery.
"It will streamline support to those impacted by the prolonged closure of the Great Western Highway," she said.
"We're talking about an area that is very resilient, we're seeking to back that in."
The taskforce will hold its first meeting on Friday, March 20.