Ada Harris, Congo Community Association - 8 July 2025

Ada Harris, Congo Community Association, presented to Council at the Public Access Session on 8 July 2025.

Good morning, Mayor and Councillors,

Thank you for the opportunity to speak today.

My name is Ada Harris. I am 18 years old, a student at Broulee, and I live between Moruya Heads and Congo. I also proudly serve as the Youth Representative of the Congo Community Association. I’m here today to speak in the public interest, not only on behalf of myself, but for the many young people and families whose daily lives continue to be disrupted by the ongoing closure of Congo Road.

Yes, it’s a detour of just 6 kilometres. But the real-world impact of that distance is far greater than it appears on paper. For families like mine, and many others, it means extra time, extra stress, and extra cost every single day.

This impacts many people, and I wanted to share a few personal stories so you, the councillors, can understand how this is impacting us.

Take my brother, for example. He surfs every morning. What used to be a short drive now for my mum takes twice as long. The quick trip from Moruya Heads to Congo used to cost around $1.50 in fuel. Now, it costs $3—and that’s just one parent, one way, on one morning.

Now that I’m on my P-plates and driving independently, I’ve felt that cost even more. Over the course of a school year, I spend an estimated $391 more in fuel alone just to get to school and back. As a student already juggling schoolwork, part-time employment, and family responsibilities, that’s a significant and unfair burden—especially when it’s entirely avoidable.

But this isn’t just about money. It’s about safety.

Learning to drive in our region is already a challenge. The closure of Congo Road forces us to merge from a full stop onto the Princes Highway—an 80km/h section of fast-moving traffic. For new and learner drivers like myself—and soon, my younger brother—this is intimidating, stressful, and unnecessarily risky.  Especially knowing that someone my age has actually lost their life at this intersection.

When Congo Road was open, we had a much safer alternative: a calm, straightforward left turn onto South Head Road. It makes no sense that young, inexperienced drivers are being pushed toward more dangerous intersections when a safer, long-standing route exists.

Then, there have also been times when we, 30 school children, physically could not get to school due to highway accidents or fallen trees. With no alternative access, we missed entire days of learning.

Then there’s the social impact—something often overlooked but deeply felt.

To another example, there is one family with grandparents and grandchildren that were once a two-minute drive apart are now separated by a 20-minute trip. In a small, connected regional community, this matters.

Or there are kids who are friends who live on either side of the closed road and used to ride to each other’s houses or ride to the beach. Who are now unable to do it.

I used to ride to school. I now can’t.  These are just a few examples.

I understand that this issue has a long history. In fact, this issue is older than me. I was born in 2007, Council agreed to formalise Congo road north in 1999.

I’ve been told that Council is working with the Landowner to find a solution. But I hope what I have shared today, may help you to understand that this is impacting many more people that the landowner. And it is frustrating that it seems like the views of one adult outweigh the impact this is having on the lives of the 30 plus kids who live in Congo.

I have personally written to the landowner, sharing my own experience—how I have divorced parents on either side of the road, and how this closure affects my ability to move between homes and stay connected. They replied to say they sympathised.

The Congo community wants the road re-opened. The landowner has told, and I quote ‘We continue to work proactively with Eurobodalla Council to achieve a solution to Congo Road North access’.

It seems that everyone wants this to be resolved. And yet the road remains closed. Respectfully, I don’t understand how a 200m of strip road can be so difficult. It’s been 26 years.

That brings me to why I’m standing here today.

I am respectfully asking for Council’s to take action to restore access to Congo Road. This issue has gone unresolved for far too long, and our community, especially its younger members, deserve to be heard and supported.

Thank you for your time, and for listening to the concerns of the Congo community.

Council's reply

Thank you for presenting at last week's Public Access session.  Councillors appreciated hearing your views as a young person directly impacted by the closure.  I am grateful for the time and effort spent to present your experience to the Council.

As you identified, this matter has gone on for a long time, which I acknowledge is frustrating for the community.  I anticipate that a report will be presented to Council in the coming months, outlining the proposed path forward.

Thank you again for sharing your experiences.