Up to 100 residents have been left stranded after Upper Kangaroo River Road suffered a significant landslip following the recent extreme weather event.
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The road, which provides in-and-out access to the Upper Kangaroo River, has been closed since last Thursday amid concerns it could sink further.
Upper Kangaroo River Progress Association president, Professor Gary Moore, said this has meant some have missed funerals, and others are anxious as emergency services cannot access the community.
"Some have medical issues, some need medications. If it were needed, an ambulance cannot get in," Prof Moore said.
"In one case, someone missed a funeral of his brother because he couldn't get out.
"Many need to get to work."
But for the most part, Prof Moore said the community remain in high spirits, and have been able to access food.
He puts this down to an organised communication system set up by locals in 2018 to prepare ahead for the Currowan bushfires.
It comprises of nine neighbourhood networks between residents in the Upper Kangaroo River that communicate through WhatsApp.
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Each neighbourhood has a coordinator and deputy, who feed important information to the residents.
And it's a successful system, Prof Moore says, which has this time allowed critical resources to be distributed across the community.
"The Upper Kangaroo River community is very resilient," Prof Moore said.
"A number of us got cars across the other side before the road was closed, because we anticipated it.
"Some people are walking to get through the slip to get food and bring it back in.
"We may have to trudge across the slip, packing groceries or fuel, but at least we are not trying to do this under relentless artillery fire."
Prof Moore also praised Shoalhaven council for providing frequent updates to the community.
"They're doing everything they can with limited resources and multiple catastrophes all over the Shoalhaven," he said.
Along with Upper Kangaroo River Road, Wattamolla Road, Bunkers Hill Road and Formans Road have also suffered significant landslips.
Shoalhaven council has earmarked these as priority repair areas. However, it is unknown when they will be restored to pre-flood conditions.
"These roads are of major concern and are expected to experience traffic restrictions for many months while geotechnical assessments are made, and repairs are undertaken," a statement from council said.
"Works are being prioritised to ensure communities can be accessed and resources delivered to those most in need."
As at Wednesday 5pm, council announced temporary works had been complete allowing pedestrian and quad bike access over the road.
The works included tree removal on the upper slope of the landslip and the installation of safety barriers.
Traffic controllers are in place and council advised caution should be taken when crossing the site.
"Council is pleased it could provide a thoroughfare prior to Easter and thanks the community for its understanding during these difficult times," a spokesperson said in a statement.
In speaking on behalf of the community, Prof Moore said residents would like to see a "reliable, properly engineered" Upper Kangaroo River Road capable of withstanding potential future disasters.
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