Dorrigo farmer calls for new highway as questions remain over Waterfall Way’s future

Work will begin next month to remediate the Gordonville Cutting landslip that closed Waterfall Way for two months earlier this year, however politicians and road users are still in disagreement over long-term solutions.

The backstory: Waterfall Way, a key freight route from Bellingen to Dorrigo and the Central Tablelands, closed in January after heavy rain triggered a 200-tonne landslide.

It was the fourth closure in 12 months.

The road has since reopened to traffic, with gravel-filled shipping containers installed to protect motorists from potential rockfalls. 

The NSW government is due to complete a full assessment of routes between Bellingen and Dorrigo by the end of 2026. 

Work set to begin: Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said on Monday that work to remediate the landslip site and stabilise the slope would begin in early August, taking six to eight months to complete.

Transport for NSW (TfNSW) described the remediation work as a “long-term solution to improve safety and strengthen the resilience of this critical regional corridor”.

The Mid North Coaster requested details on the scope of works and projected costs. A spokesperson did not address the costs, but said the remediation work aims “to reduce the likelihood of future failures occurring, with the design focused on working with the site's underlying geological conditions, which will aim to achieve long-term slope stability”.

Broader picture: The state is spending $30 million for upgrades to Summervilles and Gordonville roads, which provide an alternate route when Waterfall Way is closed.

Additional upgrades are planned along Waterfall Way, including works at Burdett Park, Camerons Corner, Crystal Falls, Maynard Plains, Woodchip Corner and Myers Bluff.

Long-term planning: Bellingen Shire mayor Steve Allan praised the funding but said current plans fail to provide a “complete solution”.

He is advocating for an additional route, known as the Cascade Corridor or the Eastern Dorrigo Way, which would travel from Dorrigo through Cascade to Coramba and then Coffs Harbour. This project would require upgrades to existing sealed and unsealed roads, which are managed by Bellingen and Coffs Harbour councils and the state.

• “If a landslip occurs further to the west of Summervilles Road, then it's still not a viable alternative route for freight and for our community to access emergency services and essential services,” Allan said.
  
  “We also need the route from the plateau down through Cascade to the coast, to provide the full and permanent solution to the issue of the Waterfall Way network.”

Is it viable?: David Gibson, chair of the Dorrigo/Guy Fawkes Branch of NSW Farmers, breeds and sells cattle from 1,000 acres in Dorrigo. He says he knows “full well what limitations the mountain puts on us in a bad time”. 

Gibson is “not a fan” of the Eastern Dorrigo Way/Cascade Corridor proposal, as he says it would add an additional 20km to journeys between Dorrigo and Coffs Harbour.

He believes there is a risk of ending up with two “half buggered roads” - Cascade Corridor and Waterfall Way - that do not meet heavy freight needs.

Other options: Rather than upgrade existing options, Gibson would like to see a new major route suitable for large freight vehicles travelling from Dorrigo to the coast, bypassing Bellingen.

He says this would offer a much-needed heavy vehicle link from Coffs Harbour to the Central Tablelands.

“Why don't we have the proper will to make the shortest and most direct route into a proper road? Flood free, landslip free … and then we don't have to worry about it again.”