The Proposed Port Macquarie Orbital Road

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Consultation has concluded

The proposed Orbital Road consists of the collective East-West Link (Ocean Drive to Oxley Highway), the North-South Link (Oxley Highway to Boundary Street) and the flood-free Primary Airport Access Road. This proposal aims to  improve connectivity to key destinations including the Health and Education Precinct, the Airport and the Regional Sports Stadium and alleviate traffic congestion.

The most viable route has been identified from an engineering perspective, however the project is only in  very early stages  and the final route is yet to be determined. Comprehensive technical and environmental investigations will be required before the final route is confirmed.

Council is committed to engaging with our community on this important project so we can make the best possible decisions based on the interests and concerns of our community. Over the past months we have invited feedback from the community via a range of methods including submissions, surveys, meetings and information sessions.

The initial consultation period for the proposed Orbital Road project has now concluded. All submissions, surveys and feedback received to date will now be collated and analysed for inclusion in an engagement report which will be presented to Council in June, for a decision to determine the next stage of the project.

IMPORTANT NOTE: At the June 2019 Council Meeting, a decision was made to develop a Strategic Business Case to review all route options to improve traffic flow and how these compare with, or complement possible improvements to the existing road network, such as planned upgrades to Lake Road and Ocean Drive, as well as State-managed roads like the Oxley Highway. For more information on this, please visit: Port Macquarie Transport Network Planning.


For more information please refer to:

Fact Sheets:

The proposed Orbital Road consists of the collective East-West Link (Ocean Drive to Oxley Highway), the North-South Link (Oxley Highway to Boundary Street) and the flood-free Primary Airport Access Road. This proposal aims to  improve connectivity to key destinations including the Health and Education Precinct, the Airport and the Regional Sports Stadium and alleviate traffic congestion.

The most viable route has been identified from an engineering perspective, however the project is only in  very early stages  and the final route is yet to be determined. Comprehensive technical and environmental investigations will be required before the final route is confirmed.

Council is committed to engaging with our community on this important project so we can make the best possible decisions based on the interests and concerns of our community. Over the past months we have invited feedback from the community via a range of methods including submissions, surveys, meetings and information sessions.

The initial consultation period for the proposed Orbital Road project has now concluded. All submissions, surveys and feedback received to date will now be collated and analysed for inclusion in an engagement report which will be presented to Council in June, for a decision to determine the next stage of the project.

IMPORTANT NOTE: At the June 2019 Council Meeting, a decision was made to develop a Strategic Business Case to review all route options to improve traffic flow and how these compare with, or complement possible improvements to the existing road network, such as planned upgrades to Lake Road and Ocean Drive, as well as State-managed roads like the Oxley Highway. For more information on this, please visit: Port Macquarie Transport Network Planning.


For more information please refer to:

Fact Sheets:

Consultation has concluded
  • 27 February 2019

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    In response to feedback received from the community Council has developed following fact sheets which are now available in the Document Library to the right (or below if on a mobile device):

    - Identifying a corridor for the Orbital Road
    - Corridor Protection for Future Road Infrastructure
    - Environmental Considerations for the Proposed Orbital Road

    Council also encourages you to come along and share your views on the project, ask questions and hear directly from the project team. Council will be holding six public community information sessions in early March. The details of these sessions are:

    • Session 1 – Saturday 2 March, 11am – 2pm - Westport Club – Hastings Room
    • Session 2 – Tuesday 5 March, 11am – 2pm - Emerald Downs Community Centre
    • Session 3 – Tuesday 5 March, 5:30pm – 8:30pm - Westport Club – Hastings Room
    • Session 4 – Saturday 9 March, 11am – 2pm - Emerald Downs Community Centre
    • Session 5 – Tuesday 12 March, 11am – 2pm - Westport Club – Hastings Room
    • Session 6 – Tuesday 12 March, 5:30pm – 8:30pm - Westport Club – Hastings Room
  • 19 December 2018 Update

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    In response to feedback received from the community Council has developed an updated Frequently Asked Questions information sheet and a project brochure. The documents have been delivered to residents in the investigation area and can be downloaded from the Document Library (to the right).

    Council encourages you to continue to provide feedback on the project.

    We will be in touch early in the New Year to provide more information on the next steps in the engagement process.


  • 17 December 2018 Update

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    This week the Mayor’s Message talks to the proposed Orbital Road.


  • 12 December 2018 Update

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    Council thanks all community members who have provided feedback on the project to date. In addition to collating and reviewing this feedback, staff have been meeting with residents within the proposed Orbital Road investigation area over the past two weeks. We have also received a range of questions from the community about the proposed Road.

    We are working hard to provide residents with further information on the project in response to some of the matters being raised. In particular, more detail around how we got to this point in identifying the investigation area and also what the process and time frames are from here.

    We will have an updated Frequently Asked Questions information sheet available over the coming days which will be posted on this site and delivered to residents within the investigation area.

    In the meantime, please view the video message from Mayor Peta Pinson – to the right of this message (or below if on a mobile device).


  • 22 November 2018 Update

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    On 21 November 2018, Council resolved to progress investigations for a proposed Orbital Road. The Orbital Road is a new road designed to alleviate significant congestion across the extent of the city, particularly on Lake Road, Ocean Drive and the Oxley Highway. Key to progressing investigations for this important road, is engaging with the community to seek feedback on the final route option development for the Orbital Road.