The $2.7 million upgrade of South Beach Road in Brunswick Heads has been officially opened by Byron Shire Mayor, Sarah Ndiaye at a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of the significant infrastructure project.
The upgrade, which included redesign and reconstruction of the entirety of South Beach Road and Torakina carpark, was made possible through a combined funding effort, with more than $1 million contributed by the NSW Government, $500,000 from the Australian Government’s Roads to Recovery program, and $1.2 million from Byron Shire Council.
Mayor Ndiaye praised the collaborative effort and the resilience of the community and Council staff throughout the six-month project.
“It’s important to pause and acknowledge the incredible work of our Council crews and teams who delivered this project on time and on budget, even with a cyclone thrown into the mix!” she said.
“Today we are celebrating reconstruction of this road, the design and line-marking, the landscaping features and water sensitive urban design gardens and new drainage made possible thanks to the vital support of State and Federal partners.
“This upgrade provides a rock-solid foundation for a swag of future improvements for the Brunswick Heads foreshore area including footpaths, pedestrian connections and crossings, additional parking, toilet upgrades and a range of safety features including upgrades to street lighting.
“Council has also resolved to gain approvals for some traffic calming features including a new 30km/hr shared zone at the Surf Club end of South Beach Road.
“Any future works will require consultation with Crown Lands, Native Title owners, and the local community and rely on grants or other sources of funding, including revenue from pay parking.
“We are sincerely grateful to the NSW Government and the Australian Government for their investment in the major upgrade of South Beach Road – that will benefit locals and visitors for years to come,” she added.
With the South Beach Road upgrade now complete, the Council is now exploring future improvements to the Brunswick Heads foreshore area.
“I am pleased to announce that we have now secured funding for a new pedestrian path and bollards.”
“The new pedestrian path will provide the missing link for pedestrians from the Bridge to the Torakina Park toilets and onto the river beach and South Beach Wall,” the Mayor said.
