Capertee Valley resident Donna Upton said the valley’s roads were so bad that tourists were complaining, and even four wheel drives have been damaged.

“It’s been a continual problem for 40 years,” she said.

She said the road needed to be made safe for ambulances, school buses, tourists and locals.

The valley is home to almost 1000 residents, and is part of several major tourist drives. It also houses a remarkable 10 per cent of Australia’s biodiversity.

She said the neighbouring Wolgan Valley was undergoing a $3.6 million upgrade financed by Lithgw City Council and the federal government, while Capertee Valley roads remained unimproved.

On June 27, Capertee Valley residents approached Lithgow City Council to request a residents’ access meeting, which has been scheduled for this Saturday.

Residents will ask to have the road sealed and subsidiary roads maintained, to have the road’s status as a regional road reinstated to make more funding available, and for Lithgow City Council to lobby for funds to support the road’s maintenance.

Prior to the realignment of shire boundaries in 2005, the road from Glen Alice to Bogee fell within the Rylstone Shire, and had been prepared to a standard for sealing. She said Lithgow City Council did not complete the job, and the road went to “rack and ruin.”

“From 2005, it’s been a battle,” she said.

The residents’ access meeting will be held on Saturday July from 10am in the Glen Alice Hall, Glen Alice Road, Glen Alice. For further enquiries, call Donna Upton on 6379 7767.