School bus service runs while Boat Harbour Road at Utungun is closed for major works

FOLLOWING advocacy from Nambucca Valley Council and the Taylors Arm community, Transport for NSW and Busways have provided a school bus service to run while major work takes place on Boat Harbour Road at Utungun.

Boat Harbour Road at Sauls Dairy, Utungun, is closed until 24 December, weather pending, while major works occur to replace a failing culvert.

The bus service will operate along the detour route – unsealed Taylors Arm Road – so school students from Taylors Arm can continue to travel via bus all the way to school during the road closure period.

News of the bus service was received by Nambucca Valley Mayor Gary Lee on the eve of construction starting.

“I am extremely pleased after weeks of advocating with Transport for NSW and Busways, they have come good and have found a solution to ensure Taylors Arm school students can be transported all the way to school while Boat Harbour Road is closed for essential works,” Cr Lee said.

“This is great news for the families who had contacted Council and had expressed they could not feasibly drive their child to Utungun Hall to meet their child’s usual Busways school bus, due to work or other commitments.

“I thank Transport for NSW and our Minister for Roads and Regional Transport Jenny Aitchison for securing a mini-bus through Newcombe Coach Lines to drive the detour road and ensure our local school students get to class.”

The Newcombe’s mini-bus service is operating in conjunction with Busways. Newcombe’s bus service will travel along Taylors Arm Road between Taylors Arm town centre and Utungun Hall, in the mornings and afternoons, weekdays, while Boat Harbour Road is closed at Sauls Dairy.

Newcombe’s morning service will pick up students from Taylors Arm bus stop (ID 2447135) at 8am. It will then go to the Boat Harbour Road/Taylors Arm Road intersection (before the dirt section of road) and pick up any school children there, departing at 8.10am. Next, it will travel along the approximate 7km Taylors Arm Road to Utungun Hall, arriving about 8.25am to meet the Busways school bus.

In the afternoon, Newcombe’s service will leave Utungun Hall at about 3.45pm, travel Taylors Arm Road and arrive at the Boat Harbour Road/Taylors Arm Road intersection at 4pm. It will then travel to Taylors Arm town centre bus stop, arriving at about 4.10pm.

Motorists travelling between Taylors Arm and Macksville are encouraged to plan their journeys and allow more time. Additionally, drivers of oversize or over-mass (OSOM) vehicles are being advised they should not assume their vehicle is able to travel safely along Taylors Arm Road.

Operators of OSOM vehicles are encouraged to contact Council on (02) 6568 2555 before their time of travel to discuss their vehicle’s dimensions and gross mass. Council will work with OSOM operators to determine if their vehicle can safely travel along Taylors Arm Road or if there is a suitable alternative route for their vehicle.

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