It's been an understandably difficult few weeks for many people in our community, and Council is continuing to work closely with those most affected by flooding earlier this month as we move through the recovery phase.
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Council crews are still counting the cost of the damage and working through the scope of repairs. Needless to say, it continues to rise almost on a daily basis.
Unfortunately, this will be a lengthy and complex process, and can't happen as quickly as we'd all like. At this stage, Council is unable to put a date on when infrastructure will be restored. This is particularly the case with repairs for Broke Road.
At this stage, a by-track is not feasible and we are working towards going straight to construction. However, we are still bound to comply with our design and procurement policies, and must work with Transport for NSW to commence works, despite the circumstances. That means it may still be some weeks before any visible signs of work on the road commence.
We appreciate this is frustrating for our community. However, I assure everyone that we are working as hard as we can for progress to be made and will keep you updated every step of the way.
Council is also working closely to support businesses impacted by the event. Partnering with Business Singleton, Hunter Valley Wine Country, Broke Fordwich Wine Region and Around Hermitage Pokolbin and Hunter Valley, the first step was to ask businesses from all industries to take a survey so we can understand how businesses have been impacted, and what assistance they need.
We'll now use that information to determine the best way we can help.
We also cannot overlook the dedication and hard work of all of our emergency services during this latest disaster. On behalf of our community, I thank everyone who was involved in the response and who selflessly gave their time and energy to keep our community safe.
I also encourage everyone to come along to the Emergency Services Expo on Saturday 20 August to say thank you in person.
The Expo is a free family-friendly event that brings together all of our local emergency services in one location, including NSW Rural Fire Service, Fire + Rescue NSW, NSW Police, NSW SES, NSW Ambulance, and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service.
The event will be held on the green next to Council's Administration Centre carpark from 9am to 12pm.
Singleton Council | Vicki Brereton acting General manager
