We, the undersigned residents and ratepayers of West Dapto and surrounding areas, call on Wollongong City Council to recognise the significant burden imposed on local residents by the prolonged closure of West Dapto Road.

West Dapto Road has been closed since July 2025 for major upgrade works. Residents were advised that the road was expected to reopen approximately mid-2026. After 12 months of closure, Council has now advised that works have been further delayed due to the discovery of a colony of threatened Myotis Microbats, resulting in an indefinite extension to the project timeline.

For many residents, West Dapto Road is the primary route for travel north towards Wollongong/Sydney. Since the closure began, residents have been forced to use lengthy detours via Bong Bong Road, Fairwater Drive, Fowlers Road, Darkes Road and other surrounding routes, adding significant distance, fuel costs, vehicle wear, travel time and traffic congestion/gridlock to everyday journeys.

School children travelling only a few kilometres are experiencing bus journeys taking in excess of one hour due to traffic congestion and limited road access. The extended travel times are impacting student wellbeing, safety and access to education, placing an unreasonable burden on families and creating unnecessary stress for children who are spending significantly longer periods travelling to and from school than would otherwise be expected.

Further concerns exist regarding the condition of affected roads. Access from Shone Avenue onto Raven Street has become increasingly unsafe, with flooding and rain damage regularly leaving one lane effectively undrivable, forcing vehicles to cross onto the wrong side of the road to get through. Flooding on Bong Bong Road during severe weather events and the train crossing adding to delays. 

The closure has also raised serious concerns regarding emergency access and evacuation planning. Residents in some affected areas effectively have only one viable road available for evacuation in the event of a natural disaster such as a bushfire, flood, severe storm or other emergency. At the NF8 Community Meeting held on Wednesday 10 June 2026, residents were advised by Wollongong City Councils Director of Infrastructure and Works, that emergency services and the State Emergency Service (SES) were aware of the evacuation plan, but that residents themselves did not need to be informed of the plan unless an emergency arose. Residents are deeply concerned by this approach and believe that all households should have access to clear evacuation information well in advance of any emergency situation.

Residents further request that Council formally recognise the current situation as a transport, emergency access and community safety risk, particularly during periods of extreme weather, flooding, bushfire conditions or other emergency events where safe and efficient evacuation may be required.

Residents are also questioning why a staged reopening of West Dapto Road using a controlled contra-flow arrangement or similar has not been investigated or implemented to provide some relief to the community while remaining works are completed.

Residents have continued paying full council rates throughout this period while experiencing the loss of a critical local transport link. The project has also been impacted by funding, budgeting and environmental management challenges that have contributed to ongoing delays.

We respectfully request that Wollongong City Council:

1.    Provide transparent fortnightly public updates on project progress, including a report detailing:

• Works completed during the reporting period;
• Works remaining to be completed; and
• Any factors affecting project delivery timelines.

2.    Publish a revised project plan outlining all remaining works, environmental requirements, anticipated milestones and a clear timeline for project completion.

3.    Provide residents with access (via your website) to the Myotis Microbat Management Plan, including any contingency measures and mitigation strategies being implemented to allow works to progress while protecting the species.

4.    Provide residents with access (via your website) to the environmental assessment conducted prior to the commencement of the project.

5.    Provide residents with a clear emergency management and evacuation plan, including evacuation routes, traffic management arrangements and communication procedures in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency.

6.    Investigate and publicly report on the feasibility of a staged reopening of West Dapto Road through the use of a controlled contra-flow or similar traffic arrangement to provide relief to residents while final works are completed.

7.    Investigate and implement measures to improve safety and traffic flow on alternative routes, including continued attention to flooding and road condition issues affecting access from Shone Avenue onto Raven Street.

8.    Commission an independent traffic engineering and emergency access assessment of the West Dapto Road closure and surrounding detour network, including evacuation capacity, emergency service access, school transport impacts and traffic conditions during peak periods and emergency events.

9.    Provide a confirmed timeline and commencement date for the proposed Shone Avenue road works and commit that these works will not commence until West Dapto Road has been reopened and normal traffic access has been restored.

10. Conduct an independent review of project planning, environmental risk management, community consultation, funding allocation and budgeting processes to identify lessons for future infrastructure projects.

11. Investigate and publicly report on options such as:

• A one-off rates rebate for directly affected households. 
• A rates credit for a defined period. 
• Community grants or support measures for affected residents and local businesses. 
• Other compensation or mitigation measures recognising the additional travel time and disruption caused by the prolonged closure. 

This petition seeks a fair and reasonable response to the ongoing impacts experienced by local residents as a result of the extended closure of West Dapto Road. Residents and local Businesses are seeking transparency, accountability, improved communication and practical measures to reduce the significant social, economic and safety impacts being experienced by the community.