With The Bureau of Meteorology warning that the worst of the rain is still to come tonight and tomorrow, Kiama’s roads and infrastructure could take another hit.

The past week of rain has caused flooding throughout Kiama, Gerringong and Jamberoo, and two landslides over the northbound lanes of Kiama.

The first slippage on the bends (on 2 March) was cleaned up, only to have another occur on the same spot and a new one further up the road. Only one northbound lane is still open, and there are worries more land slips could happen.

“I think the road needs a good engineering appraisal and some kind of an urgent action,” says Mayor Neil Reilly.

“It seems at least once a month the road is closed whether it’s for an accident or a slippage and it really does need an appraisal by the people who control that road which is Transport for NSW.

“I’ve spoken to Gareth Ward about the long term solutions. I’m not an engineer but there were similar problems at the Bulli Pass around 2016 when it was closed to remediate the area by creating a barrier to hold the earth in place where it was slipping.

“The good thing is Gareth Ward and I have been talking about it and while we want to do what we can to manage the situation as it stands, we also want to find a solution for it in the long term.”

East Beach on Sunday morning

Over the weekend flooding also occurred at East Beach Caravan Park, Hillview Circuit, Kiama Cemetery and Kendalls Beach.

“There was water up to the caravans yesterday and water completely covering the pathways,” says Igor Vaseo, who saw some pieces of toilet paper coming up from the drain near the Kendalls Holiday Park.

Kendalls on Sunday morning

“Kiama depends on tourism and seeing this flooding occur at the caravan parks will turn a lot of tourists away. What happens to the 100 employees at Easts Beach if tourists stop coming?

“Bitumen roads and driveways don’t absorb flooding and Kiama will only struggle with any new development because it can only hold so much water right now.”

Flood waters heading down through the proposed South Kiama development site, to Easts Beach

According to Council’s Road Update this morning, Swamp Rd remains flooded and is closed to traffic, Jamberoo Rd at Dido St is flooded and closed, a landslip on Wallaby Hill Rd is being assessed, Foxground Rd is closed with a fallen tree across it and Free Selectors Rd east causeway is closed due to flooding up to one metre of water.

Another landslip in a railway line cutting north of Bombo has also been dealt with by Transport for NSW.

Disaster assistance is now available in Kiama LGA through the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), to help people whose homes or belongings have been damaged, support Councils, and provide financial assistance for small businesses and freight subsidiaries for primary producers.

Check the roads before you drive, visit: https://www.livetraffic.com/

For emergency help in floods or storms call NSW SES on 132 500 and if life threatening call Triple 000