A landslide halfway up Jamberoo Mountain Road meant it was blocked for more than a year, massively inconveniencing local residents and almost destroying the small enterprises of Jamberoo.

The road reopened a year ago but the impacts of the severing of one of the main arteries between the coast and the highlands still linger. 

One local who commuted regularly up the road for work and to take his children to school in Robertson had to buy a second car and park it on the other side of the landslides, which he would hike past every day. He estimates that set him back some $12,000. 

As part of all this fiasco he claims Council trucks began dumping dirt from the road repairs at   the east side of the bus stop near the base of the mountains. There is still a sizable mound of rubbish there, by one estimate about 80 tonnes worth. 

The local gentleman, who does not wish his name published, is particularly concerned about the unsightly mound. He says he has made frequent complaints via email to the Council and had even met with the Council’s General Manager Jane Stroud over the issue, but the garbage remains. 

He says the mound began with the Council dumping rubbish from the road repairs, then attracted people dumping mattresses and other household material, and has since had further loads of dirt dumped over it. Now vegetation is growing all over it. 

“The rubbish has been there for two years,” he said. “They are saying it is too expensive to remove it. Surely, (a) you shouldn’t have dumped it there in the first place and (b) people are just dumping other rubbish there. 

“If we light a fire we have to fill out forms, get a permit, take pictures. They make sure we do the right thing.

“The Council’s attitude is pretty disgusting in my eyes. I have sent eight emails and they haven’t responded to one of them. They are just terrible. We have met with the Council manager Jane Stroud. Nothing ever happens. They just fob you off. Their attitude is just not right.”

In response to inquiries from The Bugle Kiama Council issued the following statement.

“Kiama Council has stockpiled material from our 2022/23 emergency clearing and repairs to Jamberoo Mountain Road adjacent to the bus shelter at the bottom of the mountain.

“The material had originally been planned to be removed by 2023; however, a series of urgent operational issues resulted in the removal being deferred.

“Council is initiating an investigation and design project for improvement works on Jamberoo Mountain Road under the NSW Betterment Program and will be assessing if this stockpiled material can be used for improvements to the road. 

“Securing funding for these works has taken longer than anticipated.

“If the material can be used for some of the Betterment works this will save ratepayers funds being spent on disposing of the stockpile at a waste or material recycling centre.

“The stockpile does not contain contaminated material.

“It is composed of soil, clay, rock, trees and pavement materials, which is only suitable for use on road reserves. The material is not creating any road safety or drainage problems.”