The $2.7 million upgrade of South Beach Road in Brunswick Heads was officially opened today (26 September) by Byron Shire Mayor, Cr Sarah Ndiaye, alongside Justine Elliot MP at a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of this significant infrastructure project.

The upgrade, which included redesign and reconstruction of the entirety of South Beach Road and Torakina carpark, was made possible through a combined funding effort, with more than $1 million contributed by the NSW Government (through the NSW Election Commitment Funding), $500,000 from the Australian Government’s Roads to Recovery program, and $1.2 million from Byron Shire Council.

Mayor Ndiaye praised the collaborative effort and the resilience of the community and Council staff throughout the six-month project.

“It’s important to pause and acknowledge the incredible work of our Council crews and teams who delivered this project on time and on budget, even with a cyclone thrown into the mix!” Mayor Ndiaye said.

“Today we are celebrating reconstruction of this road, the design and line-marking, the landscaping features and water-sensitive urban design gardens and new drainage made possible thanks to the vital support of State and Federal partners.

“This upgrade provides a rock-solid foundation for a swag of future improvements for the Brunswick Heads foreshore area including footpaths, pedestrian connections and crossings, additional parking, toilet upgrades and a range of safety features including upgrades to street lighting.

“Council has also resolved to gain approvals for some traffic calming features, including a new 30km/hr shared zone at the Surf Club end of South Beach Road.

“Any future works will require consultation with Crown Lands, Native Title owners, and the local community and rely on grants or other sources of funding, including revenue from pay parking.

“We are sincerely grateful to the NSW Government and the Australian Government for their investment in the major upgrade of South Beach Road - that will benefit locals and visitors for years to come,” she added.

Justine Elliot MP said, “As your local MP, I’m proud to be delivering $500,000 in Roads to Recovery funding from the Albanese Labor Government towards the upgrade of South Beach Road in Brunswick Heads.

“The completion of this project will ensure locals and tourists alike have better access to this beautiful part of Brunswick Heads now and into the future.

“Without Roads to Recovery funding increases from the Albanese Labor Government, many local projects across the North Coast like this would not be possible, which is why I am very proud to have delivered this important funding for our community,” Justine said.

Minister for Recovery and North Coast, Janelle Saffin, said, “This project shows that great things are possible when all levels of government work together.

“With this upgrade, we are investing in the future tourism opportunities for this great region and connecting our local communities too,” Janelle said.

Future works

With the South Beach Road upgrade now complete, Council is exploring future improvements to the Brunswick Heads foreshore area. 

“I am pleased to announce that we have now secured funding for a new pedestrian path and bollards.

“The new pedestrian path will provide the missing link for pedestrians from the Bridge to the Torakina Park toilets and onto the river beach and South Beach Wall,” the Mayor said.

Council is also investigating and seeking funding for the following future improvements:

• Additional parking
• Pedestrian crossings
• Road safety design – new 30km/h zone
• Street and public space lighting
• Toilet upgrades.

Funding will need to be secured through grants or other sources before any additional works can proceed.