Major works at Boat Harbour Rd, Utungun, now starting 14 September

Published on 28 August 2026

The old, corrugated steel culverts located about 8 metres below Boat Harbour Road, at Sauls Dairy, Utungun, have deteriorated, causing Boat Harbour Road to subside and Council to plan major replacement works.

Nambucca Valley Council Acting General Manager David Moloney said Council has secured $2.4 million in funding through the Australian Government’s Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program, to replace the failing culverts and rebuild the road, with works now starting on Monday 14 September 2026.

“I acknowledge there is never a good time to close a road, however piece-meal repairs have been carried out at Boat Harbour Road, Sauls Dairy, in the past and all those temporary fixes have deteriorated,” he said.

“The reason we need to close the road is because the broken culverts are located approximately 8 metres below the surface of the road.

“To demolish the existing culverts, the construction team need to use large plant and machinery to dig down 8 metres safely, demolish the steel culverts and then bench out the road and install the new Tri-cell Concrete Box Culverts with a 130 tonne crane.

“We are starting work one week later than previously advertised to accommodate our grading team and to allow additional time to explore alternative school bus arrangements for students impacted by Busways’ decision to limit its services in the area during construction.”

In preparation for Taylors Arm Road to serve as the detour route, Council’s grading team will grade the road surface, clear debris from stormwater pipes and undertake vegetation trimming along sections of the road. During the construction period, a water cart will regularly travel the road to spray water and suppress dust generated by increased traffic.

The approximate 7 kilometre detour will operate under a reduced speed limit and is expected to take an average-sized vehicle around 13 minutes to travel.

Replacement of the culverts and Boat Harbour Road rehabilitation is expected to take up to 16 weeks to complete, weather and program depending. This means Boat Harbour Road at Sauls Dairy will be closed from 14 September up until about 24 December.

Residents are encouraged to plan ahead and allow additional travel time when travelling between Taylors Arm and Macksville. Motorists should also check Live Traffic or their preferred mapping app before travelling, as the detour will be included in these services.

For more information, please contact Council on (02) 6568 2555 or email council@nambucca.nsw.gov.au

ALL MEDIA ENQUIRIES TO:

Mr David Moloney

ACTING GENERAL MANAGER  

02 6568 2555

DATE: 28 August 2026