Racecourse Road home owner Joy Bellamy and her daughter Cheryl Stuckings say groups of people congregate on the dirt road at night and tear it up with their vehicles.

Mrs Stuckings said the dirt has become so uneven that people who come to visit them in sedans or smaller cars cannot make it through and the residents themselves have become bogged after patches of rain.

“It’s a hell of a mess up there,” she said.

“We’ve got to pick our friends up from down near the racecourse when they come to visit.”

While Cessnock City Council is responsible for the first 320 metres of Racecourse Road (the stretch that is tarred), Crown Lands has advised that the access track that extends beyond the racecourse has no formal access and that it is not responsible for that section.

“As the access track is not a public road, there is no road authority responsible for maintenance,” a Crown Lands spokesperson said.

“To formalise access, a Right of Carriageway would need to be negotiated with the affected land holders.”

National Parks and Wildlife manages sections of Racecourse Road (beyond Mrs Bellamy’s property), Pelton Trail and Boundary Link Road.

Mrs Bellamy wants to know what her land rates cover if the access track is not maintained and she does not receive garbage collection.

“I pay land rates and what do I get?” she said.

“All we want is a road that’s driveable.

“I’ve got to have access.” 

“We want something done with it [the road] so we can get in and out,” Mrs Stuckings added.

Mrs Bellamy said her address is listed as Racecourse Road and questioned why it is so if the access track has no road status.

Another issue is dumped rubbish in the area, which included fast food wrappers, alcohol cans and bottles and even old mattresses and furniture.

This raised further concerns for the family, as the weather is beginning to heat up and there have been fires in the area before.

“It’s very dangerous,” Mrs Stuckings said.

A council spokesperson said that its Regional Illegal Dumping officer is aware that the area is a “known dumping spot” and it is a part of their patrol route.

Mrs Bellamy has lived in the house for 40 years and said these problems have been ongoing for a long time as no-one has taken responsibility for the road.

The Advertiser spoke to residents of the area regarding litter and hoon problems earlier this year, but Mrs Stuckings and Mrs Bellamy say the problem has just gotten worse and want action.

“We’re concerned that someone is going to get really hurt out here,” Mrs Stuckings said.