Like many Millthorpe locals Gerry Faulkner knows Richards Lane like the back of his hand.
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For years he's been travelling along the road from his Springvale Lane home into the village centre.
Like the many who also walk along its route for exercise, Mr Faulkner has noticed two things changing. One is the number of houses going up in the adjacent large block subdivision, and secondly the amount of water, even before the current storms occurred, that is now running down the hill into the table drains.
"Blayney council have said it's because of the rain, but we all know that these houses have allowed water that once was gradually released by the earth to now be channelled down directly into the lane," he said.
"In 2016 we had rains like this and there was no problem with Richards Lane back then. So to say that's the reason is nonsense."
The excessive rain has exacerbated the problem washing away a portion of the road to such an extent that Blayney Shire Council has been forced to pay for two variable message signs to advise residents that the road is closed.
"Before they put those signs there we had to pull a driver out of the washed out area after she became stuck next to the table drain," Mr Faulkner said.
Add to that the potential of an extra 49 homes in a proposed subdivision expelling their stormwater into the catchment, and the problem is only going to get worse.
Blayney Shire Council's Director of Infrastructure Services said that the solution was a long-term one.
"We are waiting on a fee proposal from our flood consultant so that we can do a strategic review of the stormwater through that catchment," he said.
"There's a drainage solution there but it needs a budget and it needs a design to determine that budget."
With the Errowanbang Gap Road closure a more pressing issue for council, Richards Lane's condition may see a short-term fix.
"Our challenge at the moment is that we can't get to everything but there will be a temporary fix in Richards Lane," Mr Baker said.
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