A major restoration project at Cornwallis in Sydney’s north-west is now complete, rebuilding a lost section of Cornwallis Road and overhauling a flood-damaged drainage network that has frustrated residents and disrupted local businesses for years.
Led by Hawkesbury City Council in partnership with NSW Public Works, the $11 million project was jointly funded by the Australian and NSW governments through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
The works target a low-lying, flood-prone stretch of the Hawkesbury River where drainage and levee performance is critical for landowners, growers and transport access.
Why the rebuild matters for freight and farm access
Cornwallis is a working landscape, with turf growers and farmers relying on predictable, direct road access between properties and to markets.
When the road was severed, detours added time and cost to everyday operations, complicating the movement of equipment, supplies and deliveries.
The completed restoration restores a safer, faster connection and reduces the risk of future access losses from drainage failures and riverbank erosion.
NSW Minister for Roads and Regional Transport Jenny Aitchison said the reopening would end the daily detours many locals were forced to take.
“For far too long, residents have been forced to take lengthy detours, sometimes adding half an hour or more to their daily journeys,” she said.
“Completing this project restores a safer, faster and more reliable connection for Hawkesbury communities.”
From 2021 flood damage to a full redesign
Initial damage was triggered by the March 2021 Hawkesbury River flood, which overwhelmed a drainage system originally built in the 1970s.
Before repairs could begin, further flooding in 2022 worsened erosion and breached the riverbank, forming a small bay and wiping out an estimated 180-metre section of Cornwallis Road.
That escalation forced a full redesign and an expanded scope, with multiple agencies working alongside the council and landholders to deliver a more resilient solution, including the NSW Reconstruction Authority, Transport for NSW, NSW Public Works, and the EPA.
A technically heavy build delivered through repeated inundation
Even during construction, the site was inundated by minor floodwaters on five occasions, including during the May 2025 event.
To rebuild the damaged network, the project required substantial materials and heavy civil works, including precast concrete culverts, extensive reinforcing steel, foundation boulders, backfill and steel floodgates.
In total, 250 metres of Cornwallis Road was reconstructed to return the route to its original state and reconnect the local network.
Hawkesbury City Council Mayor Les Sheather said the repeated flooding made delivery especially challenging.
“Reconstructing the Cornwallis drain network and road has been a challenging and technically complex project, made all the more difficult with repeated flooding over the past five years,” he said.
“What has been achieved though is a resilient safeguard against future flooding.”
A resilience win with direct supply chain benefits
Federal Minister for Emergency Management Kristy McBain said the project showed the value of coordinated recovery works in weather-exposed communities.
“This project is a great example of how we can all work together to address long-term issues for communities at risk of the impacts of severe weather,” she said.
For local freight, agriculture, and regional servicing, the practical outcome is straightforward: fewer detours, better reliability, and infrastructure built to hold up when the river rises again.
Member for Macquarie Susan Templeman highlighted the importance of restoring access for primary producers.
“Finally, they’ll be able to travel to and between their properties without a detour, and I celebrate that outcome with them,” she said.