Another financial year has come and gone without a physical start on improvements to Swan Bay Road despite assurances work would begin in 2017-18.
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Port Stephens Council authorised a $6 million loan in the countdown to the September 2017 local government election to prioritise key projects that included $500,000 to seal parts of Swan Bay Road where there’s been more than 15 crashes.
The loan also provided $1.5 million to build the Yacaaba Street extension at Nelson Bay, which is just days away from completion.
"It would appear that we are going to be duped again, the half million dollars that was earmarked for this area was part of councillors' achievements for their re-election," resident Brian Harris said. "All they've managed to do is survey the road but they've done that before. Even in the last year, a car speared off into the trees on these gravel bends.”
The previous council resolved to take out the loan, to be repaid at a rate of $1 million a year through its Newcastle property investments, as then-mayor Bruce MacKenzie had proposed.
The itemised list included projects at key sites across the local government area such as $1 million for roads on the Tilligerry Peninsula, $500,000 for sports amenities at Karuah and $1.5 million for East Seaham Road.
Further, there was $400,000 for drainage work at Shoal Bay, $200,000 for a new skate park at Anna Bay, $100,000 for a toilet block on Tomaree sports ground and $300,000 for a croquet-meets-boccie court at Raymond Terrace.
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“The Yacaaba Street extension will be good for the Nelson Bay CBD and sealing Swan Bay Road, well I’ve had representations from them about that,” Mr MacKenzie said then.
The council's assets section manager John Maretich confirmed in August 2017 that work would begin as promised.
"This financial year we have two projects along Swan Bay Road," he said.
"The first project involves widening the sealed section at the start of Swan Bay Road.
"The second project is extending the sealed road; Council has allocated $500,000 of the $6 million loan to begin sealing the unsealed section of Swan Bay Road, which begins on two odd-shaped curves."
The shoulder widening on the start of Swan Bay Road has been completed but construction work on the two gravel bends near Davis Road awaits a start date.
Mr Maretich this week told the Examiner the project had been delayed for planning reasons.
“We are currently undertaking the required environmental assessments, utility changes and any land acquisition,” he said.
To deliver improvements to the road sooner, he flagged upgrades to other sections of the road while these issues were sorted. This will be the subject of a site meeting between council staff and councillors.
“As environmental assessments take some time there is the option to undertake additional works on Swan Bay Road now and continue with these proposed works in the future,” Mr Maretich said.
Because few of the crashes had been reported Mr Harris said it had proven difficult to get action. Hopes were high in 2016 that the corners might finally be fixed but Mr Harris was again frustrated when the council abandoned plans to tar the section of road found not to meet Australia standards.
The mayor Ryan Palmer said council would deliver the work as promised even if it had been delayed.
“The job is progressing, it is going to happen, [council officers] are working their way through the planning issues and the land acquisition,” he said.
“I can assure residents the work will be completed as soon as it can.”
