The campaigners behind a push to have Brown Mountain "fixed" are hoping for positive action following a recent funding program announced by the federal government.
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The Snowy Mountains Hwy at Brown Mountain has long been a bane of motorists and a lynchpin for the Far South Coast retail and tourism economy.
Every storm event invariably leads to anxiety over its condition - anxiety well deserved given the multiple landslips and rockslides that have occurred on the mountain pass over the years.
Jon Gaul of Tura Beach has spent the best part of the last 12 months highlighting the inadequacies of the mountain pass through the Fix the Brown campaign, which included a Change.org petition and numerous submissions to local, state and federal government representatives.
Several items of correspondence in the past week have given he and collaborator Bernie Bryant hope their message was finally making headway.
In an interview with ABC South East radio on Tuesday, September 19, Member for Bega Michael Holland responded to a query about the current lane closures on Brown Mountain, which have been in place around 18 months.
He said he had just last week discussed the issue with NSW Regional Transport and Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison, Member for Monaro Steve Whan and federal Eden-Monaro MP Kristy McBain.
"We are working on a solution to that, to look at a combined outcome hopefully through state and federal developments to see how we can get the initial repairs done more quickly, and then to look at a long term solution," Dr Holland said.
That both levels of government were discussing the matter was seen as a positive move by Mr Bryant and Mr Gaul, who told ACM they were also encouraged by a letter that group of MPs sent on to NSW Minister for Transport Jo Haylen, "which essentially picked up on most of our points".
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There was also a joint announcement on August 28 from Ms McBain and federal infrastructure and transport minister Catherine King of a new Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program (rPPP), which Mr Bryant and Mr Gaul felt was ideally suited to fund the preliminary investigation study into Brown Mountain for which they have been campaigning.
The program will help fund proposals for "transformational infrastructure projects", while fostering partnerships between all levels of governments and communities "to unlock the nation's true potential".
"We believe Brown Mountain is a good fit for it," Mr Bryant told ACM.
"Particularly with the major employer in our region, Bega Cheese, and the impacts the mountain has on freight costs and transport complications.
"It would seem to me that the [rPPP] initiative is tailor made for the preliminary investigative study into options for the Brown Mountain pass."
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With that in mind, it's understood Mr Bryant and Mr Gaul were scheduled to meet with Dr Holland on Monday, September 25, to advance discussions.
"We can't pre-judge an overall design and funding required for major works on Brown Mountain," Mr Gaul said.
"Our number one objective is a preliminary study into options for its improvement or alternatives."
"But we could be on the cusp of some good news," Mr Bryant added.
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Ben Smyth
I have worked as a journalist since 2005 and am now Editor of Australian Community Media mastheads in Bega, Merimbula and Eden
I have worked as a journalist since 2005 and am now Editor of Australian Community Media mastheads in Bega, Merimbula and Eden
