PAWD Calls for Action on Silver City Highway Causeways

In Short

• Repeated Closures: Recent flash flooding and silt deposits at Black Oak and Treloar Creeks have effectively cut off communities north of Broken Hill.
• Safety Crisis: The Pastoralists' Association of West Darling (PAWD) warns that sealed road or not, residents are losing access to essential emergency services during rain events.
• Call to Action: PAWD is pressuring local MPs Jamie Chaffey and Roy Butler, along with Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison, to prioritise permanent engineering solutions for these specific causeways.

The Pastoralists' Association of West Darling (PAWD) has called for action on Far West causeways that recently caused the closure of the Silver City Highway.

When rain fell across the region last week caused flash flooding, and moved silt across the highway.

PAWD took to their social media accounts to call on local politicians Jamie Chaffey and Roy Butler and NSW Minister for Roads Jenny Aitchison, to take action.

“We don't wish to sound like a broken record, but something needs to be done about a handful of causeways on the Silver City Highway north of Broken Hill that silt up and cut the road every time it rains,” a PAWD spokesperson said. 

“These include Smiths Well Creek, Treloar Creek, Peak Hill Creek (near the Milparinka turnoff) and this one (pictured below) - Black Oak Creek. During wet weather everyone north of Broken Hill is completely cut off from emergency services, etc - and this shouldn't be the case with a sealed road.”

The Pastoralists' Association of West Darling (PAWD) represents the interests of pastoralists in far west NSW.

PAWD was established in 1907 and is based in Broken Hill.