Smooth roads ahead for north Byron Shire

Smooth roads ahead for north Byron Shire

Published on 03 June 2021

South Golden Beach and Mullumbimby are next in line for major road upgrades and reseals as Byron Shire Council continues to roll out works made possible thanks to the NSW Government’s $25 million Roads and Infrastructure Election Commitment funding.

“So far this year we are off to a great start with six reseal jobs completed in Byron Bay and three so far in Mullumbimby, with a much larger program of works to come in Mullumbimby this month and some exciting road rehabilitation planned for eight streets in desperate need of upgrading in South Golden Beach,” Council’s Director Infrastructure Services, Phil Holloway said.

“When you add this all up, on the back of the recent NSW Government’s Fixing Local Roads funding announcement which will see 29 streets improved across Ocean Shores, New Brighton and South Golden Beach this year – it’s going to be transformative for people who live in the north of Byron Shire,” he said.

Upcoming works scheduled under NSW Government’s $25 million Roads and Infrastructure Election Commitment funding include major resurfacing of Fern St and Stuart Street as well as asphalt overlays for Whian St, Murwillumbah St and Palm Ave, scheduled for mid-year.

The streets set to benefit from major road works in South Golden Beach include Gloria St, Robin St, Peter St, Helen St, Royal St, Rangal St, Pacific Esplanade and Elizabeth Street.  Council is aiming to get these works done in September/October 2021.

“The $25m funding from the NSW Government has enabled us to achieve quality reseal roads across the Byron Shire, in a faster time and with an improved lifespan of 15 years, reducing future pot hole patching and saving hundreds of thousands of ratepayer dollars that would have been spent on short-term fixes and maintenance in the past.

“We look forward to delivering this huge program of works in 2021,” he said.

What we’ve delivered to date

The NSW Government’s $25 million Roads and Infrastructure Election Commitment funding has allowed Council to complete the following road reseals since the beginning of 2021:

Byron Bay

Somerset St Wordsworth St Butter Lane Skinners Shoot Road Milton St Burns St

At the end of 2020, Council completed road reseals on Broken Head Road and Bangalow Road as well as Arakwal Court and Wollumbin Street in Byron Bay.

Asphalt upgrades were also delivered on roads in Ocean Shores including high use sections of Orana Drive, Rajah Road, Balemo Drive, Warrambool St and Yengarie Road.

We also completed a major road reseal in Mullumbimbi Street Brunswick Heads on the approach to the upgraded Brunswick Heads Bridge, plus a program of street upgrades around Brunswick Heads.  A comprehensive program of line-marking has been completed in the town.

Pearce Road and Booyong Road at Booyong which was in extremely poor condition also got a reseal over 5km of old road along with a 3.3km stretch on Binna Burra Road - delivering long-awaited upgrades for local residents.

Also in 2020, Council delivered 9 roads in Byron Bay and Ewingsdale, 3 in Suffolk Park, 11 in Brunswick Heads, 3 in Federal, 5 in Ocean Shores, a major reseal of Pearce Road, Booyong and Binna Burra Road, as well as upgrades for Kolora Way, South Golden Beach and Federal Drive, Goonengerry.

In total, $2.11M of the funding for shire-wide reseals, overlays and heavy patching works was spent in the first year (2020) $2.53M has been spent so far in the second year of the funding program.  There is a total of $11M allocated for asphalt overlay, reseals and heavy patching over the next two years.

In addition to the roadworks listed above, Council allocated $10.15m to deliver the following road reconstruction, resurfacing and improvement projects:

Completed roadworks

Bangalow Road Talofa Kingsley Street, Byron Bay Carlyle Street (middle section), Byron Bay Lawson Street, Byron Bay Tincogan Street, Mullumbimby (asphalt overlay)

Upcoming roadworks

Bayshore Drive, Byron Bay (design commencing mid-2021) Fern Street, Mullumbimby (design underway, aligned with Masterplan) Stuart Street, Mullumbimby (design underway, aligned with Masterplan) Tincogan Street, Mullumbimby (line marking, signage and intersection priority changes).

There is also a further $5m of funding allocated to support a range of tourism-related infrastructure projects including:

$1.57 million for the Byron Bay to Suffolk Park cycle path - completed $2.05 million for the Sandhills Estate activation including a new skatepark and recreation precinct linking the Byron Bay Rec Grounds, Main Beach, Tennyson St, Massinger St and Byron St. $945,000 for formalising South Beach Road (near Surf Club), Brunswick Heads – design getting underway this year. $435,000 to improve public facilities at Byron Bay’s Main Beach.  

Local Nationals Member of the Legislative Council Ben Franklin said that it was brilliant to see so many upgrades happening across the Shire.

“This funding is a result of an election commitment I made in 2019. Promising and delivering this $25 million to the community was so important to me and I’m thrilled with what the Council has already been able to achieve and the improvements yet to come,” Mr Franklin said.

“Locals and visitors deserve to have high quality, safe roads and that is what this funding delivers,” he said.

Find out more about works completed and the forward schedule of roadworks and other tourism-related infrastructure works planned at www.byron.nsw.gov.au/Services/Major-projects/NSW-Government-Roads-and-Infrastructure-Election-Commitment

For more information contact Council’s Director Infrastructure Services, Phil Holloway on 6626 7103.