Access to and from Mirador via Berrambool has been an ongoing issue for residents for almost 20 years with residents worried that in the event of a fire they would be trapped behind the fire line with no way out and no way for fire trucks to reach them.

Now a petition has been drawn up and submitted to council asking for access between Berrambool Drive and Camilla Court to be reopened.

Organiser Rod Macdougall said the petition had been sent to council, the Rural Fire Service and member for Bega Andrew Constance.

“I have been around the whole estate and out of 130 household, not one has refused to sign the petition. Since the Tathra fires everyone has been concerned and we think it’s time the path was reopened properly.”

Mr Macdougall said that in the event of a fire even the fires trails were of little use.

“Currently there are two locked gates, the road condition is bad, and the fire access trails that do exist are overgrown.” 

He said that the new development at Mirador has a significant improvement with a wide asset protection zone around the area of development unlike the existing Mirador development.

The petition was handed to council April 16 and is likely to be presented at a meeting.

In 2013 Mirador developers RCL Group purchased a strip of land and said they were seeking council’s co-operation in further establishing it as part of an upgraded road to connect the Mirador Estate with Merimbula’s Berrambool Drive. Then council put up the gates after concerns about traffic using the access. 

Council said at the time that emergency services were key holders and would be able to open the gates but Mr Macdougall maintains that the state of the access would prohibit anyone from getting through.