![Tamworth Regional Council manager of operations and construction Murray Russell said repair works on Barry Road will take place in 2023. Picture by Peter Hardin Tamworth Regional Council manager of operations and construction Murray Russell said repair works on Barry Road will take place in 2023. Picture by Peter Hardin](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/150521478/e2e877dc-4c48-4a51-bff7-1201bed92f91.jpg/r0_0_7360_4530_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A crumbling road, waiting for repairs, is driving business out of a small tourist town.
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A significantly damaged section of Barry Road at Hanging Rock has caused headaches for business owners since it first appeared in July last year, with repairs still months away.
Arc-en-Ciel Trout Farm owner Russell Sydenham, said customers were heading out of town before reaching their final destination, due to the state of the roads.
"We're absolutely furious up here, it's affecting our business," he said.
"We've had customers who have wanted to come up and they've actually turned around and decided not to."
What started as a 25-metre gash down the road has now more than doubled in length.
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The damage has been blamed on a slip circle, which was caused by wet weather and heavy logging truck traffic.
In November last year it was expected repairs would take "a couple of months", according to Tamworth Regional Council manager of operations and construction Murray Russell.
But more than a year on, residents are still waiting for repairs.
"It's a shocker," Mr Sydenham said.
With both lanes of the road closed to motorists since May, council has been knocking on the door of the state government to help cover the cost of fixing the road.
Mr Russell told the Leader council has "confirmed" funding from the state and federal governments under "natural disaster" provisions.
The exact timing off the repairs is dependent on the "availability of contractors", but Mr Russell said it is "anticipated" work will start next year.
"Council has engaged specialist geotechnical consultants to investigate the site and provide details of the proposed reconstruction," he said.
It is unknown how much the repairs will cost.
But the repairs can't come soon enough with Mr Sydenham claiming the road is "deteriorating everyday".
"It's an absolute mess," he said.
And it's not just Barry Road that's causing issues, the trout farm owner said the whole village is riddled with potholes.
"I hit a massive one near the sawmill," he said.
"If there was any vehicle coming from the other side of the road you wouldn't be able to avoid it."
Mr Sydenham said he hoped council staff would "get out of their offices" to come see the damage.
"The critical stuff like roads and infrastructure are getting worse and worse everyday," he said.
"It's not acceptable, it's really not acceptable."
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