The road is South Bank Rd East, a rutted, narrow road which links the town’s railway station and its rural community to the Pacific Highway.

“We get log trucks, cattle trucks, delivery trucks plus railway traffic and the raod is simply not wide enough for them and other vehicles to pass safely,” Eungai General Stopre owenr mark Pryde said.

“There are low hanging trees, the edges are washed out and there is simply nowhere to go.”

For Gai Welch and her quadriplegic son Dylan the condition of the road requires them to detour to the town’s northern entrance, which means a U-turn and double backing five kilometres now the new highway Stuarts Point Overpass is in place.

“South Bank is so rough is bounces Dylan out of his wheelchair,” Gai said.

Michelle Hadley said attempts to bring the problem to the attention of council staff had been repeatedly rebuffed.

“One person told me the road was not dangerous, just uncomfortable!” Michelle said.

“We want the road widened and re-sealed.”

In response to questions from the Guardian, the council’s Engineering Services Director Paul Gallagher, said $20,000 was allocated annually for the maintenance of Eungai Rail roads.

He said there were no plans for capital works in the area in the council’s four-year plan however the rehabilitation of South Bank Road was an item in the draft 2017/18 budget, which was currently under Council consideration.

Further, he said State Government funding for this particular road as an ancillary to the Pacific Highway was not possible as it did not meet the criteria.

“Any future funding will be for a 10-year maintenance program on the Old Pacific Highway – not for South Bank Rd,” Mr Gallagher said.

The mayor, Rhonda Hoban, said while she understood what it was like to live in an area that relied on the council to deal with the local road, the theme was a common one shirewide.

“The real root of the problem is there are limited funds and so much need,” the mayor said.

She said as it was budget time, now was exactly the moment to raise the issue with local councillors directly and/or present the problem in the public forum which prededed every council meeting.

“Another option to make comment is when the draft budget goes on public exhibition – residents have 28 days to make submissions.”

* Kerb and guttering was another issue raised by residents. 

Mr Gallagher said the council had not undertaken any new work in the last six years as the focus was on rehabilitation and replacement of aging infrastructure or damaged areas prior to bitumen resealing.

“If we do new kerb and guttering where there is none existing, under the Local Government Act and Regulations we charge the property owner 50 per cent of the actual cost for the frontage of their property,” Mr Gallagher said.

“New work is also generally subject to external funding provision, such as grant funding, developer contributions or section 94 contributions.”