Hawkesbury City Council, in partnership with Rotary and Bendigo Bank, has launched a Flooded Roads Smart Warning System to improve safety on flood-prone roads.
Funded by Rotary Foundation Australia and the Bendigo Bank Community Enterprise Foundation, this initiative features nine new solar-powered signs located at key areas: Brennans Dam Road (3 signs), Tennyson Road (2), Old East Kurrajong Road (2), and Roberts Creek Road (2).
Replacing outdated manual signs, these digital warnings activate automatically when water levels reach a certain height, alerting motorists to unsafe conditions. In addition to providing real-time alerts, the signs gather data to assist in future road planning.
Mayor Les Sheather thanked Rotary and Bendigo Bank for their support, highlighting the importance of these upgrades in ensuring the safety of motorists during floods.
“The Hawkesbury is one of the most flood-prone local government areas in NSW. As we’ve seen over the last five years, roads can quickly become inundated during severe weather and flooding events,” Mayor Sheather said.
“These new signs will be a highly visible and reliable warning for motorists, no matter what time of day or night.
“The reality is many of the flood rescues which have occurred in our City over the last five years were completely avoidable and resulted from people driving into flood waters. This puts their lives and the lives of those that step forward to rescue them in grave danger. Council reminds motorists to never drive through floodwaters as debris and road washouts hidden by water can put your life at risk.”
