February Community Update

A summary of business from the Council meeting Major development approvals

Council approved the following major development proposals:

DA084/22 – Warehouse 140 Mort Street, Lithgow – New Council Store building replacing the building damaged by a major storm in 2019 with a new 500m2 warehouse. A new internal driveway and parking area will be constructed with improved one-way traffic flow. The entrance to the site will be from Mort Street exiting via Gas Works Lane.

DA137/22 Proposed Hardware & Building Supplies – Bunnings The 6020m2 building will comprise a retail warehouse area, trade area and nursery, typical of other Bunnings developments in regional NSW. Parking for 114 vehicles including 5 accessible spaces and 6 trailer bays is proposed. A new road will be constructed from Valley Drive which will ultimately be connected to Silcock Street and Hill Street in accordance with the Pottery Estate Indicative Structure Plan (Chapter 9 – Lithgow Development Control Plan).

Lithgow Floodplain Risk Management Study & Plan endorsed for public exhibition 

Council endorsed public exhibition of the Draft Lithgow Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan (FRMSP) for a period of 28 days. The Lithgow FRMSP takes in the Farmers Creek and Marrangaroo Creek catchments and identifies 659 residential, 52 commercial/industrial and 5 public properties that will be flood affected in the 1 in 100-year flood event. It also identifies that in the event of a Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) event 1,984 residential, 152 commercial/residential and 18 public properties will be affected.

The total estimated cost to implement the Lithgow FRMSP 2023 is $36.55 Million, exclusive of Council, NSW SES and Bureau of Meteorology staff costs. However, the action plan provides a list of recommendations and order for measures to be undertaken and completed. Council would be eligible for assistance for funding measures in the Lithgow FRMSP from Commonwealth and State funded floodplain management programs currently administered by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment.

$9.5m Rural Road Rehabilitation Program – Tenders awarded – some to local contractors.

As a result of the significant rainfall throughout 2022, many of Lithgow’s roads have fallen into disrepair with the required works to restore them ranging from minor patching to extensive rehabilitation.

While Council continues to maintain and patch the rural road network it is understood that these works will only offer short term relief. In many cases, the surface damage reflects the underlying pavement saturation and permanent damage. To implement long-term repair in these areas, the pavement requires removal, stabilisation, reconstruction and reseal. The initial package of work includes the following locations inclusive of any intersecting roads damaged after extensive rain events:

 28km of works including reinstatement of pavement, and sealing to complete reconstructed sections of Portland -Sunny Corner Road, Range Road, Pipers Flat Road. 45km of works including patching, pavement rehabilitation and shoulder reinstatement to Glen Davis Road and Glen Alice Road. 34km of works including reinstatement, patching and pavement rectification on Wolgan Road, Hampton Road. 26km of works including rectification of road defects, pavement & drainage re-instatment to Sodwalls Road, Magpie Hollow Road. !8.4km of extensive stabilisation works with reinstated areas to be resealed to Browns Gap Road, Hartley Vale Road and Mid-Hartley Road, Fields Road. 24km of extensive works in sections with reinstatement of pavement to Coxs River Road, Ganbenang Road, Lowther Siding Road.

The tenders have been awarded to multiple contractors, some local, to enable the projects to commence and run simultaneously reducing the time taken to repair our rural roads.

Delivering a long-term water security solution for the Lithgow LGA

The Clarence to Wallerawang Pipeline project is a highly complex project that is being undertaken by Council with Centennial Coal and their contractor to deliver a Feasibility Study, design and full tender package for the construction of a 23km pipeline from the Clarence area through Lithgow to Wallerawang. This project represents a convergence between Centennial Coal’s requirement to cease discharging underground mine water to the Wollangambe River and the need for secure water resources for the city into the future.

The Feasibility Study is jointly funded by Council and Centennial Coal and considers options for land ownership, geotechnical aspects, surveys, construction methods, pipeline and pumping requirements. Council has endorsed a budget variation from the Water Reserve to cover the additional costs incurred (based on expert advice). This will fund further investigation and regulatory requirements to undertake an indepth survey of the local mine subsidence and geotechnical works from the Newnes Plateau to Wallerawang which will reduce the risk of unexpected issues that could occur during construction of the 23km pipeline.