Pitt Town evacuation route a “pot-holed goat track”

Pitt Town Progress Association are calling for the town’s flood evacuation route – described by its President as a “pot-holed goat track,” to be upgraded before another flood sweeps through.

MP Susan Templeman with members of the Pitt Town Progress Association, Peter Ryan front right

PTPA President Peter Ryan made the comments during a visit to the area by Macquarie MP Susan Templeman who has taken the issue to the Federal level.

The escape route – and it’s the only one when flood waters rise – is through the National Park and back in January after he made a visit to the area, State MP Peter Primrose brought the matter up in Parliament, saying then, “the NSW Government should frankly hang its head in shame for how it has treated the Pitt Town community”.

Ms Templeman met with PTPA members on March 4 to see the state of the road, not long after flooding began in the area.

“The Association described the flood evacuation route as a ‘pot-holed goat track’, and I’ve got to say I was appalled to see the condition of it after only one day of use in bad weather,” Ms Templeman said.

“We need to see a properly constructed road that is able to be used over a longer period of time and still maintain its quality.

“Ultimately this is a State Government responsibility, and I have taken it up with the Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience, Stephanie Cooke, Resilience NSW, and the Member for Hawkesbury, Robyn Preston.

“But I’ve also taken this to the federal level.

“The National Recovery and Resilience Agency, headed by Shane Stone, needs to take an immediate interest in this issue. Residents want to live safely in these areas, and an evacuation route is what may keep us safe.

“I’ve already raised the issue of evacuation routes across the whole Hawkesbury with Shadow Disaster and Emergency Management Minister, Murray Watt. We see it as key infrastructure, and it’s appalling that there is a $4.8 billion mitigation fund that the Federal Government has failed to tap into to ensure that people have a safe way to evacuate.

“I’m really grateful that members of the Pitt Town Progress Association took the time to take me along the exact route. It’s one thing to see it on paper, and another thing altogether to experience it, because in places we were reduced to an average of 25kph due to the condition of the road.”

In January, MP Primrose went to Pitt Town to examine the ongoing residential growth in the area, and later spoke in State Parliament about the government’s “underperformance” in delivering infrastructure in the area.

“Most concerning perhaps was the state of the roads designated by SES signage to provide the evacuation route at times of flood. Many were so potholed that the possibility of them becoming impassable at the time of a future disaster was clearly foreseeable,” Mr Primrose told Parliament.

“The NSW Government has a duty of care to provide the Pitt Town community with safe and functional road access, not just during flood events,” he said.

“Susan Templeman and I will continue to have a lot more to say about those and the many other issues that were raised with us by the Pitt Town Progress Association.

Ms Templeman urged residents using the evacuation route to exercise care.

“I would urge people to be as careful as they can while using the evacuation route because we would all hate to see an accident that blocks it,” Ms Templeman said.

“The community of Pitt Town has pulled together for each other during these latest floods and it’s clear they deserve exactly what the Association is asking for – a safe, well maintained route.

“This can be a matter of life and death for people. We really shouldn’t be fiddling around the edges.”

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