16 repairs in six years, but issues with Tarra Place in Ngunnawal persist

Potholes and flooding has beleaguered residents of Tarra Place and interconnecting Jabanugga Avenue for years, with a water reservoir beneath the road causing recurrent issues.

Some residents have previously reported spending thousands to attempt to stem the flooding themselves after damage to their properties and wetland plants sprouting in their backyards.

A geotechnical report seen by The Canberra Times in April 2021 posited that the water could have come from an uphill source due to development in Ngunnawal, but an ACT government spokesperson has now said the issue may be due to the water table rising.

"Investigations confirmed the water was not running water from existing utility services, but rather may be related to the water table rising following rainy weather," the spokesperson said, of inspections and geotechnical investigations which have taken place in the 12 months since.

The 2021 report found that issues linked to the underground water had been going on since at least 2016.

Two residents of nearby streets said the last repairs had taken place in March, but spanning their years living in the area, they had only seen fixes last for weeks at best.

"Everybody has been waiting for it to be fixed and nothing's been done," Kellie Baker, who frequently uses the road said.

"My kids say the bus drivers go up on the gutters to get around it as well.

"They just keep putting tar over the top of the holes, and then they're back to the way they are a week later."

Donna Spencer, another Ngunnawal resident, also said works on the road never lasted.

"Sometimes within days, and sometimes within weeks, it's just back to being as bad as it was before," she said.

The road had essentially become a one-way street because of the barricades, she said, and the damage seems to be spreading further along.

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Liberal MLA for Yerrabi Leanne Castley said she was stunned by the damage she saw after being contacted by a resident.

"This has been going on for such a long time, how much longer do Ngunnawal residents have to wait?" Ms Castley said. "They're really frustrated."

The ACT government spokesperson said design work for permanent repairs had been completed and construction work would likely commence in the second half of 2022, lasting approximately three months.

"Major pavement and stormwater rehabilitation work will be required to permanently repair the road," the spokesperson said.

"This will include removal of the existing road pavement, repairs to kerbing and stormwater drains, placement of new road pavement and associated line marking.

"As part of the pavement rehabilitation works, sub-soil drainage will be installed to avoid future occurrences of the same problem."

Residents will receive regular letterbox drops updating them, they said.

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