Latest news with #PacificHighway
News.com.au
28-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Pacific Highway flood closure leaves driver stranded for hours in NSW
Record-breaking floods have submerged the Pacific Highway near Taree for nearly five days, leaving one motorist stranded and unable to get back home for 26 hours. A 20km stretch between Coopernook and South Taree was closed, forcing motorists like Michael Atkinson to undertake arduous detours last Wednesday. Mr Atkinson's journey from Maclean to Nelson Bay extended to 26 hours due to the closures. 'I found out there was a road closure when I got within 10km of Taree,' he told the ABC. 'It took me 26 hours to get home, driving north, camping in Glen Innes, and then driving all the way inland and up through the Hunter Valley.' These severe disruptions highlighted the region's vulnerability to extreme weather events. The MidCoast Council estimates the financial impact of the highway closure at approximately $29m, taking into account diverted traffic and disrupted supply routes. But motorists said the confusion and a lack of clear, accurate information about closures and detours made the highway shutdown even more disruptive. The Pacific Highway is a major supply route for the entire north coast of NSW, and Transport for NSW estimates that more than 26,000 vehicles use the Pacific Highway near Taree everyday with 80 per cent of them being cars and 20 per cent being trucks. Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said on Monday people needed to be mindful when driving in challenging conditions. 'LiveTraffic doesn't tell anyone to go anywhere,' Ms Aitchison said. 'Everyone's doing their best but it's a difficult situation because no matter what somebody saw 10 minutes before they went in to update LiveTraffic, it can change in an instant. 'It's a challenging situation and I'll be looking at what we can do better next time.' The recent floods have also resulted in significant human and economic tolls across the state. At least four fatalities have been reported, with nearly 50,000 residents isolated due to inundated roads. Emergency services have conducted over 675 rescues, and the Insurance Council of Australia has received more than 1,600 claims related to flood damage.
RNZ News
27-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
'26 hours to get home': Floods close a 20-kilometre stretch of NSW Pacific Highway
By Toby Hemmings and Claire Simmonds , ABC Floodwaters inundating the northern NSW city of Lismore. Photo: AFP PHOTO / NEW SOUTH WALES STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE Record-breaking flooding created unprecedented traffic chaos on New South Wales roads last week, costing tens of millions of dollars and casting a cloud of uncertainty over the road's flood resilience . Most notably, flooding closed a 20-kilometre stretch of the Pacific Highway dual carriageway between Coopernook and South Taree for almost five days. Michael Atkinson was one of the motorists frustrated on Wednesday when he was returning home from Maclean in the Clarence Valley. The trip, which normally takes about five hours, took five times that long. "I found out there was a road closure when I got within 10 kilometres of Taree," he said. "I live in Nelson Bay. It took me 26 hours to get home, driving north, camping in Glen Innes, and then driving all the way inland and up through the Hunter Valley." According to estimates from MidCoast Council, the financial cost of the Pacific Highway closure was about $29 million, due to diverted traffic and supply routes. But drivers have told the ABC the impact of the road closures was exacerbated by incorrect and unclear information about what roads were closed and what alternative routes were available. Stretch of Pacific Highway flooded for five days. Photo: Supplied/ABC News After nearly 30 years of dual carriageway upgrades, the Pacific Highway between Hexham and the Queensland border acts as a major supply route for the entire north coast of NSW. More than 26,000 vehicles use the Pacific Highway near Taree every day, according to Transport for NSW data, with 80 percent cars and 20 percent trucks. A 2020 floodplain risk management study, commissioned by MidCoast Council, estimated the cost of closing the Pacific Highway near Taree for just a day would be up to $5.79 million. The study also looked at raising the section of Pacific Highway that crossed the Manning River as an option to improve flood resilience. It estimated the upgrade would cost about $134 million, and was not financially viable. Executive director of operations management with Transport for NSW Craig Mason said flood resiliency was something the organisation would look at across the network. "Stopping the impacts in the future will require a lot of work and expense," Mason said. "But we're always looking at how we can make the network more resilient and diversions more efficient. "With the water levels, particularly through Taree being the highest ever, it's quite difficult to try and build networks that can avoid floods in any circumstance." Multiple drivers told the ABC issues with the Pacific Highway closure were exacerbated by inconsistent information from navigation apps and LiveTraffic, Transport for NSW's real-time information provider. LiveTraffic is fed real-time information by road crews dispatched from the Transport Management Centre and emergency services. A forward command centre was set up in Newcastle during the flood emergency. But navigation apps were often unclear about which routes were open or closed, leading to people becoming stranded in flood-affected areas. Over two days, about 20 people arrived in the remote valley community of Killabakh, north-west of Taree, after misdirection by navigational aids. Killabakh Rural Fire Service senior deputy captain Greg Hale and his team, on stand-by for flood rescues, met the new refugees to the valley. "Most of them consulted LiveTraffic, which is what you're told to do in emergency situations," Hale said. "And they were then advised they could come over Comboyne Mountain into Killabakh to get further south in their travels, but Killabakh itself was flooded in. "The information that was available to them about the way they could get to their destination sent them over the mountain and was certainly inappropriate." The Rural Fire Service crew enacted the local emergency management plan and opened the community hall as a shelter for those stranded for the night, which quickly turned into two nights. Jenny Aitchison speaking in Kempsey about the road network. Photo: Supplied/ABC News Speaking in Kempsey on Monday, Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said people needed to be mindful when driving in such challenging conditions. "LiveTraffic doesn't tell anyone to go anywhere," Aitchison said. "Everyone's doing their best but it's a difficult situation because no matter what somebody saw 10 minutes before they went in to update LiveTraffic, it can change in an instant. "It's a challenging situation and I'll be looking at what we can do better next time." - ABC
ABC News
27-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Record-breaking floods that closed Pacific Highway test road resilience
Record-breaking flooding created unprecedented traffic chaos on New South Wales roads last week, costing tens of millions of dollars and casting a cloud of uncertainty over the road's flood resilience. Most notably, flooding closed a 20-kilometre stretch of the Pacific Highway dual carriageway between Coopernook and South Taree for almost five days. Michael Atkinson was one of the motorists frustrated on Wednesday when he was returning home from Maclean in the Clarence Valley. The trip, which normally takes about five hours, took five times that long. "I found out there was a road closure when I got within 10 kilometres of Taree," he said. According to estimates from MidCoast Council, the financial cost of the Pacific Highway closure was about $29 million, due to diverted traffic and supply routes. But drivers have told the ABC the impact of the road closures was exacerbated by incorrect and unclear information about what roads were closed and what alternative routes were available. After nearly 30 years of dual carriageway upgrades, the Pacific Highway between Hexham and the Queensland border acts as a major supply route for the entire north coast of NSW. More than 26,000 vehicles use the Pacific Highway near Taree every day, according to Transport for NSW data, with 80 per cent cars and 20 per cent trucks. A 2020 floodplain risk management study, commissioned by MidCoast Council, estimated the cost of closing the Pacific Highway near Taree for just a day would be up to $5.79 million. The study also looked at raising the section of Pacific Highway that crossed the Manning River as an option to improve flood resilience. It estimated the upgrade would cost about $134 million, and was not financially viable. Craig Mason, the executive director of operations management with Transport for NSW, said flood resiliency was something the organisation would look at across the network. "Stopping the impacts in the future will require a lot of work and expense," Mr Mason said. "But we're always looking at how we can make the network more resilient and diversions more efficient. Multiple drivers told the ABC issues with the Pacific Highway closure were exacerbated by inconsistent information from navigation apps and LiveTraffic, Transport for NSW's real-time information provider. LiveTraffic is fed real-time information by road crews dispatched from the Transport Management Centre and emergency services. A forward command centre was set up in Newcastle during the flood emergency. But navigation apps were often unclear about which routes were open or closed, leading to people becoming stranded in flood-affected areas. Over two days, about 20 people arrived in the remote valley community of Killabakh, north-west of Taree, after misdirection by navigational aids. Killabakh Rural Fire Service senior deputy captain Greg Hale and his team, on stand-by for flood rescues, met the new refugees to the valley. "Most of them consulted LiveTraffic, which is what you're told to do in emergency situations," Mr Hale said. "And they were then advised they could come over Comboyne Mountain into Killabakh to get further south in their travels, but Killabakh itself was flooded in. The Rural Fire Service crew enacted the local emergency management plan and opened the community hall as a shelter for those stranded for the night, which quickly turned into two nights. Speaking in Kempsey on Monday, Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said people needed to be mindful when driving in such challenging conditions. "LiveTraffic doesn't tell anyone to go anywhere," Ms Aitchison said. "Everyone's doing their best but it's a difficult situation because no matter what somebody saw 10 minutes before they went in to update LiveTraffic, it can change in an instant. "It's a challenging situation and I'll be looking at what we can do better next time."
ABC News
23-05-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
NSW flood road closures see Pacific Highway closed amid floodwater warnings
Motorists have been warned to drive cautiously in flood-hit New South Wales and parts of the Pacific Highway remain underwater. Video released by the NSW government shows the highway has become a dual carriageway river, with floodwaters closing some sections to traffic. As homes face inundation and tens of thousands of people are cut off from supplies and escape routes, key coastal roads have been severed. Diversions are in place for some major roads, but authorities are emphasising drivers should never attempt to pass through floodwaters. Here's what to know. Hundreds of roads have been impacted by flooding in the NSW Mid North Coast, according to the Live Traffic NSW website. Follow our live coverage of the record NSW floods According to an update from the site issued on Friday morning, key road closures include: Other closed roads in greater Sydney are: A full list of affected roads can be found at the NSW Live Traffic website and regular updates are issued via the NSW Live Traffic social media pages. It's also worth noting that situations can change when floodwaters rise, and roads closures can change after you set off on your journey. Diversions are in place for many of the above mentioned road closures. According to NSW Live traffic, northbound traffic on the Pacific Highway — also called the M1 — can divert onto the New England Highway from Beresfield to Glen Innes, then onto the Gwydir Highway to South Grafton, join the Big River Way to Tyndale and then rejoin the Pacific Highway. Drivers heading south along the M1 can divert onto Big River Way from Tyndale to South Grafton, using the Gwydir Highway to get to Glen Innes, then onto the New England Highway towards Beresfield, where they can rejoin the Pacific Highway. Drivers taking the diversion along the Big River Way should note it runs alongside the Clarence River, though local authorities say flooding is unlikely to affect the road. Specific route diversions can be found on the NSW Live Traffic website. Provided roads are open and you can exercise due care, the answer for most people is yes. However authorities always stress that you should never attempt to drive through floodwaters. "Even a small amount of water can cause your vehicle to move or for you to be carried away," Acting NSW Police Commissioner Peter Thurtell said. "Our message is not only to drivers in the rural areas, but drivers in Metropolitan Sydney as well — please drive to the conditions, drive slowly, be courteous to your fellow drivers, watch out for pedestrians. "During these wet weather events the roads are more dangerous and we need to make sure we drive responsibly and in accordance with the conditions." Some flood-affected areas are under shelter in place advice. People in those areas should not attempt to drive, as all roads around them are likely affected by floodwaters. Separate to the four people confirmed dead in the floods, NSW has recorded two other deaths on its roads overnight in rainy conditions.
ABC News
20-05-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Record flooding in Taree as deluge continues on NSW coast
Homes have been inundated and people are on their roofs as record flooding swamps the New South Wales Mid North Coast. The Manning River is flooding at a level never seen before at Taree, surpassing the 1929 record of 6 metres early this morning, and is still rising. During the 24 hours to Wednesday morning, the NSW State Emergency Service (SES) responded to 887 incidents, including 118 flood rescues. In one of the more significant incidents overnight, 24 people were rescued from the flooded Pacific Highway at Ghini Ghini. NSW SES State Duty Commander, Assistant Commissioner Colin Malone, said in a statement that emergency service crews were responding to rescue requests as quickly as possible. "This is a dynamic situation, but the NSW SES and our emergency service partners are deploying every available asset to assist with these rescues," he said. "Unfortunately, we've also had a large number of calls for help that we are still assessing how best to access those locations. "We've advised those people needing assistance to move to higher ground, as we're unable to currently access by boat, road or air due to the current weather conditions." There are 11 emergency warnings currently in place. Manning Point – evacuate now Low lying areas of Wingham – move to higher ground Parts of Taree and Dumaresq Island – move to higher ground Redbank – evacuate now Croki and surrounds including Moto – shelter now Parts of Coopernook – evacuate before 5pm May 20 Parts of Bulahdelah – evacuate now Gloucester Caravan Park – evacuate before 6am May 20 Ferndale Caravan Park – evacuate now Parts of Paterson – evacuate before 11:30pm May 19 Parts of Dungog — evacuate before 11:30pm May 19 Assistant Commissioner Malone said the locations where most of the rescues for people trapped in homes were occurring were under emergency warnings advising them to evacuate and had been doorknocked by the NSW SES and emergency service partners during Tuesday. The SES said residents in Taree, Wingham and Glenthorne could be isolated by floodwaters for several hours. Emergency warnings are in place advising residents to evacuate immediately at Manning Point, Coopernook, Bulahdelah, Gloucester Caravan Park, Ferndale Caravan Park, parts of Paterson and parts of Dungog. It is to late to leave for residents in parts of Wingham, Taree and Dumaresq Island. The SES has also been responding to major flooding on the Hastings River, Gloucester River, Williams River and Paterson River. The Pacific Highway is closed between Manning River Drive and Jericho Road, with northbound traffic being diverted onto the New England Highway from Beresfield and southbound vehicles onto the Gwydir Highway at Grafton. Severe weather is expected to continue during Wednesday, with prolonged moderate to heavy rainfall from the Mid North Coast through to Grafton. Six-hourly rainfall totals between 100 and 140 millimetres are possible and 24-hour totals of between 150 and 200mm are possible. Locations which may be affected include Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, Taree, Kempsey, Woolgoolga, Sawtell, Dorrigo, Wingham and Yarrowitch.
