Mr Barr’s comments come after the Department of Corrections recently released their three preferred options for the new access road – with all three options impacting Kerlew Street, Nulkaba.

Concerned residents recently held a public meeting to discuss their concerns about the options and to offer their preferred option – a gun barrel access from Wine Country Drive running through land owned by NSW Health that used to house the now defunct Allandale Nursing Home.

Residents are concerned that any of the three options put forward by Corrections would have an adverse impact on Nulkaba, effectively creating a “rat run” of traffic along Occident Street, Austral Street, O’Connor’s Road and Ivanhoe Street which are in close proximity to Nulkaba Public School and Nulkaba Preschool.

Mr Barr said that he agreed with the community’s concerns, especially given the development the area will see over the next few years.

“Ultimately there will be a set of lights about three streets along from Kerlew Street which means if you’re coming out and having trouble getting on to Wine Country Drive at Kerlew Street what would you do instead? Well I’ll just shimmy along to the lights at least then I’ll know I’ll get a green light and get out,” Mr Barr said.

Residents are also concerned that the three options put forward all utilise council roads, and the upkeep will fall to the ratepayer, thus affecting the whole of the Cessnock Local Government Area, not just residents of Nulkaba.

“We’ve been lumbered with the cost of the local roads stuff for 40 years now, here’s a chance for the Council and the state member and the community to get it off our roads,” Mr Barr said.

The MP added that there were stakeholders, namely the Cessnock Men’s Shed and a commercial kitchen along the proposed state road, that would need to be consulted over the option but reiterated his belief that no hurdle was too great to overcome.

“Monday to Friday when those key stakeholders are using those facilities, because there is only staff and deliveries using that road, you could open the gate in the morning and just have it open and close it in the afternoon.

“On weekends as I understand the Men’s Shed is not open and the kitchen is not open so those gates are locked and closed. I think that is a workable solution.

“There’s nothing that’s insurmountable, it’s all a matter of will. For the Snowy Hydro scheme they flooded the old town of Jindabyne – they moved an entire town of people for the scheme.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Corrections told the Advertiser that they were unable to comment  as a final decision was yet to be made on the access road and that “consultation was ongoing”.

“In good faith they’ve left the door open so we as a community now need to exercise our voice,” he said. “If there’s a valid reason as to why that Health land just can’t be used and secured, let’s have that conversation,” Mr Barr said.

Nulkaba resident Karen Shearer said that the State land option represented the best course of action for the whole community.

“We just want what’s best for everybody,” she said. “We don’t want the people who live in Lindsay Street, where the current access is, to think that we don’t care about them or the problems they’re having. We want a workable solution that everyone can be satisfied with.”

The issue will be on the agenda at tonight’s Council meeting after Councillor Ian Olsen tabled a motion to rescind any prior motions pertaining to the access road and that Council give full support to the State road option.

Cessnock Mayor Bob Pynsent said that he saw little sense in having access to a state-owned facility on council roads.

“Cessnock City Council has campaigned since the announcement of the expansion of the Cessnock Correctional Centre that access to the Centre be via direct routes to the State road network, as it’s a State facility,” Councillor Pynsent said.

“Why should rate-payers be footing the road maintenance bill with the current access route on or local road network?”