**Council Reconsiders Road Repairs After Community Frustration** The Lithgow City Council is reevaluating its approach to road access in the Wolgan Valley after spending millions on disaster recovery efforts. The council closed the only road into the valley in late 2022 due to safety concerns stemming from landslides caused by heavy rainfall. In response, an emergency four-wheel-drive route, known as the Donkey Steps, was established at a cost of over $4 million. This route has served as the sole access point to the valley since the closure. Andrew Chalk, president of the Wolgan Valley Association, expressed the community's frustration. "We're back at the point we were three years ago," he said. "The community has lost all confidence in the council's ability to manage this problem." Initial assessments by engineering firm WSP Golder estimated that repairing the 2.7-kilometer stretch of road would cost more than $60 million to achieve a level of "marginally acceptable" risk. A subsequent study, funded by disaster recovery money, suggested that a new route might be a more resilient and cost-effective solution. However, further investigations led to a staggering increase in the repair estimate to $1 billion, or about $370,000 per meter. Jonathon Edgecombe, the council's director of infrastructure, noted that more detailed investigations into the landslide impacts contributed to the increased costs. The council has also approved up to $385 million in disaster funding to restore access to the community. A peer review by GHD, another engineering firm, found some of WSP's assessments to be questionable and recommended a comprehensive revision of the road's landslide risk. GHD's investigation indicated that the risk was mostly "tolerable" and comparable to other slopes on the New South Wales state road network. GHD is currently conducting a study to explore the possibility of temporarily reopening the old road, with results expected in about 12 weeks. The council has begun discussions with both engineering firms regarding a new study to assess the reconstruction of the old road. Despite acknowledging that the original WSP report was outdated, Edgecombe stated that the council would continue to pursue new route investigations. "We don't have mature enough data and design work in front of us to say that the old Wolgan Road or the new design option is the most cost-effective, resilient, long-term and quickest possible pathway to see access restored to this community," he said. Independent geologist Marc Hendrickx criticized the ongoing investigations into new road options, arguing that GHD's findings indicate the existing road poses a similar risk to many other slopes in the state. "There seems to be no justification at all for continuing any work on the new routes, and it is just going to be a complete waste of public money to continue to do so," he said. Chalk echoed this sentiment, calling the push for new routes a "monumental waste of money." He expressed concern that the council intends to continue working with WSP, the firm he believes contributed to the current situation. In response, Edgecombe expressed confidence in WSP's capabilities. "WSP has been assisting the council in the management of the Wolgan Road for nearly two decades," he said. A spokesperson for the New South Wales Minister for Roads, Jenny Aitchison, expressed sympathy for the local community, noting that GHD's independent advice suggesting a quicker and less costly reopening of the road is positive news.