Residents are outraged that no work is planned to address the appalling condition of the southern end of Wyoming Rd at Wyoming for at least two years.
And even that planned work will not permanently address the dangerous condition of the street.
Spokesperson Rosemary Long said residents had been agitating for years to have the road upgraded, some for more than 50 years.
“Those who use it, including the passengers and bus drivers on Route 37 up and down the road, will know how shocking it is; pothole after pothole,” she said.
“Local residents had been assured the southern end would be upgraded, including a footpath and kerb and guttering, after the northern end of the road was upgraded in the early 2000s.
“Despite plans for the work being drawn up in 2012, we are now told it will not happen in the foreseeable future – certainly not in the next 10 year program.”
Long said “rehabilitation work” flagged in Council’s roadwork map for 2027/28, at a cost of $280,053, was nothing but another pothole filling exercise.
“The road leads to the shopping centre, hotel and bistro, dental and medical surgeries and other conveniences,” she said.
“It is a busy road – dangerous for the many pedestrians who use it, for many reasons.
“Try as I may, I cannot discover why the upgrade is not considered a priority by Council.”
Long has lived on the road with her husband Bob Hall since 1995 and said they had been corresponding with Council over the situation for 25 years, with many others having demanded action for much longer.
“I have recently been speaking to residents as I seek signatures for a petition (to have the road fixed),” she said.
“One resident moved into a new house in 1971 and was promised kerb and guttering within six months; it has not happened.
“Another said she wrote to Council in 1976 to bemoan that her visitors from Ireland had no footpath to walk along.
“I am sure I will encounter many more such stories.”
Long said she had asked Council who decided the level of priority of roadworks with no answers forthcoming.
Residents appealed to Federal Member for Robertson Dr Gordon Reid to intercede on their behalf and are far from satisfied with a response received on July 14 from Council’s Acting Director of Infrastructure Services, Andrew Pearce.
“Council is responsible for over 2,000km of roadwork and is committed to maintaining and improving roads across the entire region,” Pearce wrote.
“The renewal of Wyoming Rd has been assessed in line with Council processes with priority given to two sections of the road which have been tentatively identified for rehabilitation or resurfacing as part of the 2027/28 capital works program.
“These works are subject to future yearly program finalisation and adoption by Council.
“The provision of further footpath in Wyoming Rd on the southern section has been identified and would likely be delivered as part of a future road upgrade project that would also deliver street drainage, kerb and gutter, and new road pavement.
“At this time there is no budget allocated to progress or deliver this project and therefore it is unlikely to be undertaken for some years.
“Unfortunately, many of the roads across the LGA were built many years ago and developers at that time we’re not required to provide kerb and gutter or footpaths.”
Long and other residents say this is not good enough.
“Basically Council is saying the upgrade of Wyoming Rd south is not a priority for Council,” she said.
“The residents want to know why that is so and when it ceased to be a priority.”
Long has correspondence from a Gosford councillor who described Wyoming Rd as “one of the worst roads in the city” in 1999 and said he had been successful in securing funding for upgrading the road in the 2000/2001 year.
“The southern end has not been upgraded, despite massive drainage work being carried out after the northern end was upgraded,” she said.
Long said residents were also incensed that one homeowner had been told a damaged area in front of his house was not Council land and would have to be fixed at his own expense, despite it being on a Council strip area.
