A Lightning Ridge business owner is furious that the NSW Government has not created a shorter alternative route from his business into town. 

A series of dips in Lorne Road’s bitumen has led to its closure. 

Walgett Shire Council resolved in February to close the road to all traffic, following an assessment which discovered large cavities beneath it and Fred Reece Way within 500 metres of Kangaroo Hill.

The road is the main route that connects the town to those living and travelling from the south east.

The cavities are thought to be between four and ten metres underground and stretch over hundreds of metres, linking back to mining activity from 1910.  

Image: Walgett Shire Council. 

“While the current road does not exhibit external signs of distress, anecdotal reports from the investigation team indicate that the substantial size of the cavities poses a risk to road users, particularly with the increased traffic from heavy vehicles, trucks and machinery” the council said a statement – with Mayor Jason Ramien telling the Western Plains App the council was very limited in what it can do as it does not own the road.  

Lorne Station Caravan Park owner Dan Waterford told the Western Plains App that first of all people just drove around the blocked sign, but then they put up bollards. 

“It’s impacted us majorly. It means the only alternative access is a 38 kilometre ground trip to town and back. People will not want to stay in the caravan park if that is the case”. 

“There is an alternative track which could be set up by the department has not come to party on that”.  

He said the Department did not notify them and made no efforts to create viable alternative arrangements. 

Image: Walgett Shire Council. 

A spokesperson for NSW Government said “NSW Resources commissioned geotechnical report in April 2024 to investigate underground cavities resulting from opal mining that occurred in the early 1900s beneath Lorne Road and Fred Reece Way at Lightning Ridge”.  

A journalist from the Western Plains App contacted Council this week and was told there was still no date scheduled to reopen the road.