Councillors moved a recommendation at the April council meeting to pursue grant funding to expedite works and upgrade the gravel section of the road.

If suitable grant funding is not obtained before the adoption of the next Delivery Program, this project is to be included in the 2022-2025 Delivery Program.

Denille Banham has lived on Spooners Avenue for nine years and addressed councillors at the public forum in support of the motion.

"During the nine years that I have lived on Spooners Avenue the road has been in poor condition," she said.

"There have been a number of accidents and near misses because of loose gravel and pot holes which also cause damage to vehicles."

The road plays an important role during times of flood and is used as an alternate route between Kempsey and Frederickton.

"I've had 11 people go through my front fence and this can be a daily occurrence during a flood," Danille said.

"It's a miracle no one has been killed or seriously injured."

Councillor Bruce Morris put forward the recommendation at the meeting and said Spooners Avenue attracted a high number of social media comments during the flood as a high volume road.

"There have been requests from the community for a number of years for consideration of an upgrade," he said.

"It provides an important link, particularly from the Collombatti area down into West Kempsey and it does hold a lot of use during flood events for the movement of livestock."

Spooners Avenue was already included in a priority list of roads that was adopted as part of council's Operating Plan in 2019.

Councillors passed the recommendation that will now see Spooners Avenue identified as a high priority for construction and sealing works.

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