newy.com.au – Maitland City Council will match a $2.56 million federal grant for the second stage of the Scobies Lane realignment, aimed at reducing flood isolation at Oakhampton Heights. The work will turn an emergency access route into a public road for everyday use.
The federal funding register lists the second stage at $5,112,522, including a Commonwealth contribution of $2,556,261. It covers about 770 metres of road construction, a pavement width of 12 metres and a separate concrete shared path 2.5 metres wide.
The announcement on Friday 16 October 2026 follows years of planning to improve access for a community vulnerable to road closures. Council’s 2024 environmental assessment identified about 50 homes in Oakhampton Heights dependent on vehicle access through Scobies Lane and South Willards Lane. The route also serves Walka Water Works.
Federal Member for Paterson Meryl Swanson welcomed the funding in a joint announcement with Regional Development, Local Government and Territories Minister Kristy McBain.
“This is a great outcome for Oakhampton Heights residents, who know all too well the difficulties that flooding and isolation can cause,” Ms Swanson said.
Council completed the first stage in 2024, building foundations for a new road south of the original Scobies Lane. That work provided an emergency route during minor flooding. The first stage was announced as more than $2 million in works jointly funded by the NSW Office of Local Government and council, including a new intersection with Oakhampton Road.
The continuing vulnerability was evident during the May 2025 floods. On 21 May, NSW SES told Oakhampton Heights residents to prepare for isolation as the Hunter River remained above the minor flood level, identifying Scobies Lane as a road at risk of inundation. The warning urged households to prepare essential supplies for three to five days.
Council’s earlier assessment explains why the project involves a new alignment rather than simply lifting the existing road. Raising Scobies Lane would have required substantial fill and the acquisition of private land to widen it. The assessment considered that option less cost effective and more disruptive to residents and visitors to Walka Water Works.
Consultation in September and October 2023 attracted 23 responses, of which 21 supported the preferred realignment. One respondent opposed it, citing tree loss and concern that the road would not be high enough. Feedback also included a request for a footpath or cycleway, a feature now included in the funded second stage.
The federal contribution comes through the Safer Local Roads Infrastructure Program. It forms part of nearly $135 million announced for 45 projects nationally, including more than $66.7 million for 22 projects in NSW.
