It would appear that the Berejiklian Government is about to wish a temporary asphalt batching plant on the Lower Clarence River flood plain.
Running for two and a half years day and night.
Two years of bitumen odour from the holding tanks, lime dust from the silo, diesel fumes from the generator, sulphur oxides and nitrogen oxides releasing during production - all wafting on the breeze - along with the never ending rumble of dusty heavy trucks belching exhaust fumes.
Then a cleanup of the toxic waste left behind.
With not even the courtesy of a genuine community consultation.
The Australian and NSW
governments are jointly funding the Woolgoolga to Ballina Pacific Highway
upgrade. Roads and Maritime Services’ Pacific Highway Project Office, Pacific
Complete and its contractor partners are working together to deliver the
upgrade.
To build the upgrade,
the project team will be establishing batch plants along the 155 kilometre
route. These sites will have different functions and will support the building
of the new road.
The project team is
proposing to build a temporary asphalt batch plant at Woombah. The batch plant
would be located on the eastern side of the existing highway about 700 metres
north of the old Iluka Road turnoff. A map has been provided to show the
proposed location of the temporary asphalt batch plant.
This facility would make
asphalt for the upgrade between Maclean and Devils Pulpit. Batch plants are
facilities where raw materials are brought in, mixed together and then loaded
into trucks and transported to site for use.
If approved, we would
start building this site in July, with the batch plant operational by
mid-August 2018. This site is proposed to be operational for about two and a
half years with the land to be rehabilitated after completion in line with the
project’s conditions of approval…..
There would be up to 500
heavy vehicle movements and 100 light vehicle movements per day at peak…..
Typically work would be
carried out during the project’s approved construction hours which are:
9am
- 6pm Monday – Friday
8am
– 5pm Saturday
In areas where residents
live more than 200 metres from the work area, extended work hours are allowed
between 6am and 7am and 6pm and 7pm from Monday to Friday. Additionally, work
outside or normal construction hours is also allowed where the impact to
residents is predicted to be low, including no greater increase in noise levels
than 5 decibels above the existing background noise level.
The batch plant
would need to be operational whenever asphalting work is required on the road.
To minimise the impact on the Pacific Highway and ensure the work sites are
safe, some of this work would be carried out at night. The temporary batch
plant would need to operate at night to support these activities. Residents would
be notified in advance of this taking place.
We are seeking your
feedback on the proposed building and operation of the temporary asphalt batch
plant at Woombah. To have your say, please fill out the attached feedback form
by Wednesday 4 July 2018.
You can return it by:
Alternatively, you can
provide your feedback over the phone by calling 1800 778 900 (toll free).
Google Earth snapshot of Woombah site and surrounding land, an est. 2.5kms
as the crow flies from the Clarence River estuary and est. 1km from residential dwellings.
Woombah batching site boundaries.
Iluka Road problems
THE safety of Iluka road users is being put at risk
by increasing truck movements to an additional 500 truck and trailers as well
as 100 cars per day. That’s an additional truck or car travelling on Iluka road
at a rate of one every 50 seconds! A situation that will continue for two and a
half years.
The NSW Government has put out a letter seeking
feedback on a proposed asphalt batch
plant at Woombah for the Pacific Highway Upgrade from Mororo to Devils Pulpit.
However speaking with other locals in the Woombah
area I found out quickly that very few residents of Woombah, let alone IIluka
have received this letter. It is something that will affect all the 2500
residents of Iluka/Woombah area, as well as tourists and service vehicles. The
letter has only just been sent out, but the site is already being prepared.
Another case of community consultation and feedback after the fact, and the
decision has been made!
The new temporary turn off from Iluka Rd onto the
highway is already a difficult and dangerous turn-off because of the short
turning lanes, additional turns and give way signs. Along with increased truck
movements and road blockages associated with the construction of the Iluka road
overpass, the dangers associated with navigating this entrance and exit to
Iluka Road has increased.
Now all the traffic for an asphalt batching plant is to also travel on Garretts
Lane, coming from the Old Pacific Highway and crossing Iluka Rd onto this new
temporary turn-off.
This will cause traffic congestion problems for all
Iluka Rd users. It will create further problems entering and exiting the
highway. It will increase that danger of motor vehicle collisions and possible
injury. We must stand up for the safety of our loved ones, our children, and
for the many families who holiday here.
Locating the batching plant where it has its own
dedicated access road to the highway, one which could adequately accommodate
this large number of truck movements is the only sufficient solution. They
should not be placed on busy local roads.
There are several areas, including Mororo Rd, which
have already been blocked to public access, which could easily be fitted out
for this purpose without endangering people.
Also with the plant being on the Western side of
the Pacific Highway, these fully loaded trucks that are all going north will
not have to cross the busy Pacific Highway but instead only need to merge with
traffic. This would also solve the problem
Davild Wilson, Iluka
