At last week’s Nambucca Shire Council meeting councillors voted to award the contract for the work between Woodbell St and Bellwood Dr to Specialised Geo Pty Ltd.

The work is sensitive, not only because the road is the gateway to Nambucca Heads but it is also surrounded by the remnants of littoral rainforest, identified as an endangered ecological community.

Assistant general manager, Engineering Services, Paul Gallagher, said this ecological sensitivity meant the engineering options for reparation were limited.

“The environmental solution adopted for the site is the installation of soil nails and steel mesh which will be installed over the face of the embankment,” Mr Gallagher said.

“This will involve the removal of small lower storey vegetation (up to 100mm in diameter) while retaining the larger trees forming the upper canopy.

“The use of steel mesh will allow the lower storey vegetation to regrow in time.”

Mayor Rhonda Hoban said the deterioration of the road pavement and underlying slope had been a serious concern for several years due to the risk of a major landslip with possible catastrophic effects on life and infrastructure.

“The cost of landslip remediation was however been beyond the capacity of the residents of the Nambucca Valley and I sincerely thank the Federal Government for providing $5 million dollars towards the works to address this vulnerable section of road,” Cr Hoban said.

Residents are advised that work is scheduled to start in February and Riverside Dr will be closed to traffic for up to six months.

A detour will be set up around the site via Woodbell St and Bellwood Dr.

The council apologises for any inconvenience caused while the works are in progress.