Council
18 December, 2025
Wollondilly councillors take aim at ‘misinformation’
Wollondilly Shire councillors have taken aim at people spreading ‘misinformation’ about Douglas Park Drive saying it is causing unnecessary stress and anxiety.
Wollondilly Shire councillors have taken aim at people spreading ‘misinformation’ about Douglas Park Drive saying it is causing unnecessary stress and anxiety.
Councillors have reaffirmed their commitment to keeping the road open and say results speak for themselves.
They say they have kept several roads open under similar circumstances and Douglas Park Drive will be no different.
There is one undeniable: the road will need to be closed at some stage to undertake the necessary repairs and to put council’s preferred option in place.
However council says any closure will be temporary and that any talk of a permanent closure is unfounded.
Council this week confirmed it will work towards a permanent solution by 2031.
Council’s preferred option is for a single lane of traffic through the Douglas Park Gorge with traffic lights at either end.
It has already committed $4 million towards the project and says it will have a better chance of attracting external funding if it pursues a realistic option.
According to a Mayoral Minute passed unanimously at this week’s council meeting, council recognises the ‘catastrophic’ impact that permanent closure of Douglas Park Drive would have on local businesses and the ‘profound’ impact it would have on the community’s social fabric.
It will work with stakeholders to ensure the ‘temporary’ closure of Douglas Park Drive is minimised as much as possible.
The Southern Wire understands that any temporary closure may be in place for as long as 12 months.
Cr Jacqueline Jenson said council had listened to the community’s “deep concerns” and that it was disappointing that ‘misinformation’ had been causing unnecessary stress and anxiety.
She urged residents to use council as the “trusted source of information” moving forward.
Cr Ally Dench said there was “understandable concern” in the community about the future of Douglas Park Drive.
She said she didn’t support the closure of Douglas Park Drive – and neither did others – but council needed to acknowledge the level of anxiety that discussion over the road’s future had created.
Cr Suzy Brandstater said it was always a case (for council) of “let’s fix it”.
She said rumours had “scared and upset a lot of people who do not need that stress in their lives”.
Deputy mayor Matthew Deeth said members of the community were justifiably concerned.
He said council didn’t have to come up with answers that it didn’t have at the moment – but it did have to communicate a plan.
As part of the Mayoral Minute council will also look to exclude heavy vehicles from using the road.
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