Call for long-term investment in Waterfall Way

Published on 06 February 2026

Waterfall Way

Regional Mayors call for long-term investment in Waterfall Way and Category D disaster assistance

Regional mayors from the Mid North Coast and New England have renewed their call for Waterfall Way to be recognised as infrastructure of regional and state significance, warning that repeated closures continue to impose serious economic, social and safety impacts on communities across both regions.

Waterfall Way is a critical east–west transport corridor linking the New England tablelands with the Mid North Coast. It supports agricultural production and freight, enables access to health, education and essential services, and provides a vital connection for businesses, residents and emergency services.

Recent and ongoing closures have again exposed the vulnerability of this route and the lack of resilience in the wider road network. For communities on both sides of the range, these disruptions are not isolated events but recurring and compounding challenges with significant flow-on impacts for local economies and livelihoods.

The mayors have acknowledged the Minns Labor Government’s recent announcement to undertake a detailed corridor assessment of Waterfall Way and Mid North Coast roads between Bellingen and Dorrigo, including investigations into short-term fixes and potential long-term upgrades to support access and alternate routes during extreme weather.

While welcomed, the mayors have stressed that assessment must be matched with a clear commitment to funding and delivery.

“We cannot afford another cycle of studies without action,” the mayors said. “Our regions need solutions implemented on the ground, not just identified on paper.”

In the immediate term, the mayors are also calling on the NSW and Australian Governments to approve Category D assistance under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA). They say the scale, duration and cumulative impacts of repeated and prolonged closures go well beyond standard recovery measures and warrant exceptional support for affected communities and businesses.

The mayors are calling for:

  • formal recognition of Waterfall Way as infrastructure of regional and state significance;
  • investment in long-term, resilient solutions rather than repeated emergency repairs;
  • approval of Category D DRFA assistance to address exceptional and ongoing impacts; and
  • proper assessment and funding of viable alternate routes to strengthen the regional road network.

Without sustained investment and appropriate disaster assistance, the mayors warn that communities, industries and essential services will continue to bear the economic, social and safety costs of an unreliable transport corridor.

  • Mayor Steve Allan - Bellingen Shire Council, 
  • Mayor Nikki Wiiliams - City of Coffs Harbour, 
  • Mayor Gary Lee - Nambucca Valley Council, 
  • Mayor Kinne Ring- Kempsey Shire Council, 
  • Mayor Adam Roberts - Port Macquarie Hastings Council, 
  • Mayor Ray Smith - Clarence Valley Council,
  • Mayor Sam Coupland - Armidale Regional Council, 
  • Mayor Robert Bell - Uralla Shire Council

 

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