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Work will soon begin to repair the largest of 9 landslip sites on the Snowy Mountains Highway at Brown Mountain.

Work will be carried out from Monday 8 April 2024 about 800 metres west of the Brown Mountain Power Station, to repair significant damage caused by severe weather events in 2022.

The Albanese and Minns Governments are funding this $2.6 million project through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

Transport for NSW has appointed specialist ground engineering contractors, Piling & Concreting Australia (PCA), to repair the landslip damage and fully restore the road at this location.

PCA will drill and install more than three kilometres of seven-metre-long steel rods, known as soil nails, to anchor the section of failed slope before applying a layer of spray-on concrete to prevent further erosion.

The work, which will take about 20 weeks to complete, has been planned to keep traffic moving as an important link between the ACT and South Coast while also ensuring the safety of motorists and workers.

The repair work will be carried out with large machinery and workers operating in an area about as wide as a standard single car garage to repair a site about the size of a suburban house block, which creates some unique challenges and risks.

For this reason, a 200-metre section of the highway will be reduced to a single lane, with temporary barriers and traffic lights in place 24 hours for the duration of the work.

In addition to this latest work, contracts are expected to be finalised soon for more repairs to be carried out this year at another 3 landslips on Brown Mountain.

Tenders are also being assessed for a site about 1-and-a-half kilometres east of the Fred Piper Memorial Lookout that has been limited to a single lane due to the extensive damage on the road.

Transport for NSW has made significant progress on its natural disaster recovery work, with repairs completed on more than half of the 100 landslip sites it is managing on several key state roads across the Illawarra and South Coast.

During the repair work, motorists are advised to allow an extra 5 minutes to travel times and drive to conditions and Transport for NSW thanks the community for their patience while these important repairs are carried out.

Federal Member for Eden-Monaro, Kristy McBain:

“The ongoing closures associated with landslips and rockfalls on Brown Mountain are frustrating for all of us who use the highway, which is why the Albanese and Minns Labor Governments are working together to kickstart this crucial repair work.

“This is one of Brown Mountain’s biggest ever repair jobs and will be fantastic for locals and tourists – with this new infrastructure to go a long way to preventing further erosion and to improving road safety on the busy Snowy Mountains Highway.

“I’ll continue to advocate for longer-term planning for Brown Mountain, because it’s important that frequent and intense weather events don’t impact the reliability of this key road network.”

NSW Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education and Member for Monaro Steve Whan:

“As the major arterial road connecting the NSW Sapphire Coast with Canberra, Brown Mountain is used not only by tourists during the Winter and Summer seasons, but by ambulances and transport services each-and-every day.

“The closures over the last couple of years due to landslips caused by unprecedented rain, have greatly impacted the electorates of Monaro and Bega, and I welcome the commitment from the Minns and Albanese Governments to complete remediation work to ensure the road is safe and reliable for all those who use it.

“I will continue working with my colleagues in both state and federal government to advocate for a long term solution to the Brown Mountain section of the Snowy Mountains Highway.”

NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison:

“This latest repair work on the Snowy Mountains Highway at Brown Mountain marks a significant step towards restoring the region’s vital transport infrastructure — Dr Holland, Minister McBain and Minister Whan have been fantastic advocates for their communities on progressing these repairs.

“Through the joint efforts of the Australian and NSW Governments, we are investing $2.6 million in this project to repair the largest landslip site.

“This funding underscores our commitment to supporting the communities affected by natural disasters and reinforces our dedication to infrastructure resilience.”

NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Regional Health and Member for Bega Dr Michael Holland:

“It’s great to see work progressing on Brown Mountain.

“The Australian and NSW Governments are making steady progress in our natural disaster recovery efforts along several key state roads.

“The completion of repairs on over half of the 100 landslip sites managed by Transport for NSW in the Illawarra and South Coast regions is a testament to their dedication to restoring connectivity and resilience in our communities.”

Transport for NSW is investing in design and investigation work for accessibility upgrades at 9 railway stations across regional NSW to make it easier for passengers to move around the state.

The NSW Government has provided funding under the $800 million Safe Accessible Transport (SAT) program to begin preliminary investigations and design development at each of the sites.

The funding recognises the importance of access to safe and reliable public transport options for all users across the state but particularly in regional areas where social isolation can be a concern for people living hundreds of kilometres away from close family and friends.

Stations funded for development include:

• Canberra (operated by TfNSW)
• Kempsey
• Kendall
• Macksville
• Nambucca Heads
• Sawtell
• Urunga
• Wingham
• Yass.

These upgrades aim to make public transport safe, inclusive and easy to use for all passengers but especially for people with disabilities, seniors, people with prams or luggage and others who may be experiencing mobility problems.

Each upgrade is tailored to meet each community and station’s needs and to include accessible ramp access, upgraded facilities including accessible toilet, and tactile ground surface indicators to improve safety for people who are vision impaired.

Improved lighting, CCTV and Wayfinding signage to enhance passenger safety, platform levelling and accessible ‘kiss and ride’ areas for easy pick-ups, and drop-offs for people with mobility issues or using prams and luggage are also being considered.

Planning work at each of these locations will take about 9 to 12 months to complete and will see the development of a distinct design focused on each site’s needs.

Early engagement with key stakeholders at each location will start later this year, and more information will be provided to the community at each stage of the process.

Transport for NSW is planning to kick off early engagement through location-specific workshops with local people with disability and their carers to inform development of the concept design, followed by pop-up sessions in each location with the wider community who will be invited to have their say on the proposed works.

The community is invited to sign up to a project distribution list to ensure they’re kept informed about engagement opportunities and as the projects progress.

Transport for NSW determines the priority of upgrades using evidence-based criteria, including:

• the needs and demographics of passengers who use the location
• whether important services such as hospitals or educational facilities are nearby
• current and future patronage
• cumulative impacts of other construction projects
• the accessibility of other nearby transport interchanges and facilities.

More information on the Safe Accessible Transport program is available on the Transport for NSW website.

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Jenny Aitchison said:

“Accessibility upgrades are being rolled out at train stations right across the state to make public transport safer, more inclusive and easier to use for all passengers.

“This stage of design development will see our teams carrying out survey and geotechnical work to better understand each of the sites and inform development of concept designs.

“Transport for NSW will also be engaging with key stakeholders, including people with disability, to seek local insights and feedback on indicative designs.

“Public transport is a significant driver of social and economic activity, and accessible transport gives all people the opportunity to participate fully in their community and the economy.

“This is particularly the case in regional NSW where the tyranny of long distances can be terribly isolating for people with mobility issues and families without a car of their own.

“A safe, equitable and integrated transport network means people across the state can travel safely and confidently to work, appointments, holidays, events, and to visit friends and family.”

The endangered Booroolong Frog may be on the road to recovery after an army of NSW Government scientists teamed up to save it with a targeted conservation program and cutting-edge Environmental DNA (eDNA) science.

It’s a major win for the native amphibian whose northern populations were all but wiped out in the 2017-2020 drought.

In 2019, quick-thinking scientists led by the NSW Government’s Saving our Species program jumped into action, collecting 60 frogs to establish a breeding program at Taronga Zoo in Sydney. Last month, 656 juvenile Booroolong Frogs were released into the Cockburn River catchment near Tamworth to help boost numbers in the NSW Northern Slopes and Tablelands.

The release comes off the back of a release last year of 640 frogs. Results from follow-up surveys in October were very encouraging, with a large number of released frogs surviving and thriving in their new home.

Tracking frogs in the wild can be tricky, so water scientists made a high-tech leap by developing a ground-breaking eDNA test which can spot even the slightest genetic trace of an animal from as little as 100 millilitres of sampled water.

The new technique is a critically important tool in the mission to bring the frog back from the brink, with results helping to shed light on the population’s distribution and return to health in the state’s north.

In December 2023, experts took water samples from several stream locations, which they hope contain Booroolong Frog eDNA. Results are expected in the coming months.

The presence of healthy and diverse wildlife in the river system is just one way the NSW Government can gauge if our water management activities are working effectively.

The work to conserve the Booroolong Frog is thanks to collaboration between scientists at the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water’s Saving our Species program and Water Group, the University of Canberra’s (UC) National eDNA Reference Centre, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, the Australian Museum and local ecologist Phil Spark.

The findings from field monitoring will help to inform and improve water management and policy to better support native wildlife and to deliver a healthier and resilient river system.

Find out more about surface water science

NSW Water Minister Rose Jackson:

“It’s been great to team up with a broad range of agencies and experts who are all passionate advocates for improving our unique ecosystems and environments through science and animal conservation.

“Booroolong Frogs may be small, but they play a big part in helping us keep tabs on the health of the river system. This species relies on stream habitats and water flows, which means they are a great indicator for monitoring water management decisions.

“Knowledge is power and with an El Niño declared it’s never been more important to use science-based methods to measure how we’re doing with our water management.

“The results from the monitoring program will give us a baseline for the current distribution of the species and will help us make more informed decisions to strike the right balance between meeting the needs of the environment and water users.”

NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe:

“We are thrilled to see the initial findings suggesting Booroolong Frogs are starting to recover.

“Many endangered species have seen a decline in numbers due to years of neglect from the previous government. However, wins like this remind us why we shouldn’t give up on our native wildlife.”