SUBSTANDARD footpath and driveway repairs by NBN contractors have drawn an angry response from Bathurst Regional Council and the local community.
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NBN Co has the right to tear up footpaths to lay new cable or carry out maintenance with local councils powerless to stop them.
And while the understanding is that NBN Co will repair any damage to original condition, that has not been the case in many areas of Bathurst where repairs have amounted to nothing more than slapping down black tar.
Council has twice written to NBN objecting to the state of its contractors' repair work, but with no success.
A clearly frustrated engineering services director Darren Sturgiss said council's hands were tied.
"The Telecommunications Act allows for a communication authority, in this case NBN, to come in and carry out work without any approvals required from council," Mr Sturgiss said.
"They just need to notify council of their intention to carry out work and the type of work and council generally doesn't hear anything further from them until they start the job."
Mr Sturgiss said council had been unhappy with a number of the NBN restoration jobs, along with the behaviour of some contractors who have carried out noisy jobs in the dead of night.
"We have had a number of discussions with [NBN] regarding their behaviour and asked them to modify their behaviour but we have no recourse," he said.
"... We have also told them we will not accept responsibility for any incidents that result from their repair work."
We have told them we will not accept responsibility for any incidents that result from their repair work.
- Engineering services director Darren Sturgiss
George Street businessman Martin King is also angry about the NBN patch-up jobs that are becoming a regular sight across the city.
Mr King, from King's Antiques, has seen footpaths outside both his business and home on Piper Street left damaged by NBN work.
"They really leave it a mess and it looks rubbish," Mr King said. "And they are doing it all around the town."
A spokesperson for NBN said the footpaths would be reinstated to their original condition - eventually.
The spokesperson said the company expected all restoration work to be completed by early June.
"NBN Co is currently undertaking works in parts of Bathurst to improve connections to the nbn access network," the spokesperson said.
"Temporary reinstatements [of footpaths] are conducted until such time permanent works can be carried out, which is a common industry practice.
"Permanent reinstatement for all pavement surfaces, including driveways and footpaths, will be returned to their original condition or better.
"As construction is still underway, permanent restorations will be take place when the works have been completed in late May and are expected to be finalised by early June.
"We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused to local residents."
The spokesperson said there were currently more than 15,000 Bathurst homes and businesses ready to connect to the nbn access network.