No sign of a break in widespread rain across NSW and road damage toll mounts

 

The Sydney Morning Herald, 20 October 2022:

Holidaymakers heading into regional NSW over the next few months have been told to brace themselves for longer journeys on more dangerous roads after a year of record rain and flooding.

The severe weather has caused billions of dollars in damage to local roads across the state, bringing regional councils to “their knees” as they struggle with repairs, and heaping pressure on the state government to intervene…..

NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said the damage to roads across the state posed a safety risk heading into the summer and councils needed more state and federal funding to ensure their roads were safe after the rain.

“The roads are not great, they are littered with potholes and are severely damaged, but also roadworks will be taking place, which means people will need to slow down for those as well,” he said.

“There are safety risks when it comes to roads that are so badly damaged. It is easier to lose control, especially on high-speed roads.

“It’s going to be a challenging period and it’s not going to get better until the rain stops.”

The NRMA roadside assistance team was receiving almost twice as many call-outs for tyre and wheel damage in NSW compared with last year.

NSW Farmers fears the state of regional roads will impede the harvest of this year’s winter crops, due to start in NSW in the next few weeks, because heavy vehicles and machinery will struggle to get to farms and then get the crops to market…...

Local Government NSW said some councils were now spending up to 90 per cent of their capital works budgets on road repairs and this year’s rain had caused $2.5-$3 billion worth of damage to local roads.

It reiterated its call for the state government to act on its 2019 election promise and take over 15,000 kilometres of country roads owned and repaired by councils.

A spokesman said the government’s failure to do so had “heaped more pain on many regional and rural councils, who are financially on their knees due to rising repair costs”.

Almost 80 councils have identified 500 roads they want the state government to reclassify or take over. So far, the government has said it will take on five roads – totalling 391 kilometres – identified in a priority audit, but the transfer of ownership will take time. An independent panel is reviewing the remaining nominations……

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) expects this current bout of rain to continue falling over the Northern Rivers region at least until Thursday 27 October.

BOM advice as of 19 October 2022 was:

Significant rain and thunderstorms are continuing to spread across eastern and south-eastern Australia and will continue into next week.

Rain and thunderstorms with heavy falls over South Australia and Queensland are due to spread into northern and western New South Wales towards the South Australian and New South Wales border on Wednesday night.

Severe thunderstorms are also likely across Queensland and northern New South Wales, with heavy rainfall leading to flash flooding, damaging winds and large hail. Heavy falls across inland South Australia could also lead to flash flooding.

Thursday will see widespread thunderstorms across eastern Queensland, New South Wales, northern Victoria, and far eastern parts of South Australia, with isolated heavy falls.

Inland Queensland and New South Wales are also likely to see some severe thunderstorms with heavy rain, damaging winds and large hail, with giant hail also possible.

Further rainfall in coming days for southern inland Queensland, on and west of the ranges in New South Wales and northern Victoria is likely to lead to widespread moderate to major flooding impacting already flood affected communities.

On Friday and leading into Saturday widespread showers and thunderstorms will continue for eastern Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, as humid and unstable conditions persist across eastern and south-eastern Australia.

Severe thunderstorms are likely across eastern Queensland, New South Wales, and parts of Victoria, bringing more large hail, damaging winds, and heavy rainfall.

Severe thunderstorms are likely across eastern Queensland, New South Wales, and parts of Victoria, bringing more large hail, damaging winds, and heavy rainfall.

Widespread rainfall totals of 25 to 50 mm are likely across South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria this week and into the weekend, with 50 to 100 mm falls possible in southern inland Queensland, on and west of the ranges in New South Wales.

This rain and storm activity will lead to renewed river level rises and widespread moderate to major flooding across southern Queensland, inland New South Wales, and possibly northern Victoria…...

For all the latest warnings see National Warnings Summary.

8-DAY TOTAL RAIN FORECAST

Australian Bureau of Meteorology, rain map, issued 7:43am AED Thursday 20 October 2022

Road travel is still hazardous in regional & rural NSW after more than 9 months of heavy rainfall & flood damage

 

ABC NEWS, 9 October 2022.  IMAGE: The swollen Macquarie River continues to rise near homes around Troy Gully in Dubbo.(Supplied: Rod Price)

The Daily Telegraph/Northern Star, 6 October 2022:

Tony Leggo was part of the Bonalbo Rural Fire crew who attended the latest accident where a coupe ended up on its roof.

“Two local Bonalbo residents were driving behind them and saw the rear swaybar of the car in front come off in the first set of potholes,” Mr Leggo said.

“The car then lost control and hit a second lot of potholes where it started to roll over.

“A crew of four as well as the Group Captain West attended that one.”

He said all of the district’s roads are in poor condition after back-to-back La Nina events and associated floods.

“I get it,” he said, “but when you’re forced to drive at 60 km/h or less on sections and meet someone on your side of the road coming around corners, it’s dangerous.

“Millions were spent recently on a section of the Clarence Way which was improperly mixed so it has to be done again.

“The accident should be a wake up call because it was sheer luck nobody died.”…..

Bonalbo firefighter Joanne Leggo was on scene to assist.

“In my own opinion, I think that the condition of the road, with many potholes being unavoidable, has taken its toll on our cars and perhaps the car experienced mechanical failure upon hitting the smaller, hard to avoid, potholes,” Ms Leggo said.

“They may not have known that the car was at breaking point that day.”

Clarence Way, a major arterial road that connects NSW and Qld, demands improvement, according to residents and emergency personnel.

“Residents, tourists, and seasonal workers have been left to risk their lives daily,” Ms Leggo said.

“The witnesses were adamant the car was not speeding, which makes it even more frightening.”

Occupants of the car, seasonal workers with limited English, were uninjured.…..

Flood affected local government areas eligible to share $312.5 million, to rebuild damaged roads and transport infrastructure, in order to better withstand future natural disasters:

Armidale, Ballina, Bellingen, Byron, Central Coast, Cessnock, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Dungog, Glen Innes, Gwydir, Kempsey, Kyogle, Lake Macquarie, Lismore, Maitland, Mid-Coast, Muswellbrook, Nambucca, Newcastle, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Port Stephens, Richmond Valley, Singleton, Tenterfield, Tweed and Upper Hunter.

This enhanced round of grant money is jointly funded by the NSW and Federal governments.

‘While support to rebuild damaged roads was announced earlier this year, it only allowed for infrastructure to be repaired to pre-disaster conditions.

It has now been expanded to enable councils to build back in a more resilient way with roads to be improved, and built to withstand future natural hazards.

"This is the next step in the process to get these projects underway, and I'd encourage councils to apply for this funding," Federal Minister for Emergency Management, Murray Watt said.

"We've seen infrastructure like roads and bridges damaged time and again, with no opportunity for them to be repaired or built to a standard that would help them withstand and bounce back from a future natural disaster.

"By rebuilding to a better standard we can protect communities during disasters, while also lessening the long-term damage to regions."’ [The Armidale Express, 7 October 2022]

Clarence Valley Council continues its schedule of works which includes flood repairs.

Storms and heavy rain continue to bedevil the state, with three Natural Disaster Declarations published over the last four months.

La Niña is still active and is expected to increase the chance of above average rainfall for northern and eastern Australia right through to December this year.

Gaining ground on heavy rain and flood damage to roads around the Clarence Valley

 

The Live Traffic NSW map of north-east New South Wales still resembles a measles outbreak, as all seven local councils work their way through damage to the regional roads network predominately caused by heavy rain and flood events over the last six months.

IMAGE: Snapshot of Live Traffic NSW mapping, 20 July 2022

Since May 2022 Clarence Valley Council has been publishing its maintenance schedule and this June-July it has been beavering through a long 'to do' list.

 

$312 million roads funding boost. It's a little being asked to go a long way in flood ravaged regional NSW, but it's still good news

 Approaches to Main Arm, NSW, March 2022

IMAGE: Byron Shire Council

IMAGE: ABC News

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Byron Shire Council, media release, 22 April 2022:

Byron Shire to share in $312 million roads funding boost

Byron Shire Mayor, Michael Lyon, has welcomed the news of the Australian and NSW Governments’ $312 million Regional Roads and Transport Recovery Package saying it will have long-lasting benefits for communities in the Byron Shire.

Mayor Lyon this week met the NSW Minister for Regional Roads and Transport, Sam Farraway, and other Mayors and Members of Parliament in Lismore, to hear details of the funding package and to discuss the way forward in relation to the repair and rebuilding of roads and infrastructure in the Northern Rivers.

“This joint funding from the Australian and NSW Governments will go a long way to ensuring our roads and bridges are not just rebuilt, but they will be to a standard that will better withstand future floods,” Mayor Lyon said.

“The term people use for this is ‘betterment’ – which in the context of a natural disaster is the process of building a damaged road or bridge back better than its original condition prior to the event,” he said.

“This is about building resilience into our road network which is a very encouraging development, it is something European countries do very well, spending money on prevention, rather than recovery.

“Traditionally, the State Government would only fund the restoration of an asset, leaving the cost of any identified improvements which could mitigate damage in a future event to Council.

“Given Council’s usually stretched financial situation, these improvements rarely, if ever, got funded.

“We have been lobbying for years for the idea of betterment to be funded as part of the recovery from a natural disaster, because it makes sense and it saves dollars in the long run as well as minimising disruption caused by these events,” Mayor Lyon said.

“The meeting with Minister Farraway, NSW Transport officials, local Members of Parliament, Mayors and General Managers was most valuable as we talked through how we can most effectively respond to the enormous rebuilding challenge before us and ensure that we have a coordinated, regional approach, given we are all competing in some way for the same resources.

“Minister Farraway has visited the region several times since the first flood and it has been impressive to know he listened to our concerns around betterment, the need for it and then to effectively lobby on behalf of our region and come up with a result for our community.

“It sets a good precedent for the future and our ability to be resilient in the face of the expected increased frequency of natural disasters.

“Simon Richardson, our previous Mayor, was very good at recognising the desire in other people to do good things, irrespective of their political flag and he was able to obtain funding for our area through this approach.

“I intend to seek to emulate this approach with the intention being to secure as much funding as possible for the benefit of our residents and businesses.

“The recovery in the Byron Shire, and in the Northern Rivers, is going to be a long, slow process, and it’s going to test everyone.

“This sort of financial package takes some of the pressure off and for this I am very thankful,” Mayor Lyon said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Palmwoods Road Reconstruction
March 2022
IMAGE: Byron Shire Council

Post February-March 2021 flooding repair bill estimates for Clarence Valley road infrastructure

 

Removing logs from Tallawudjah Creek Bridge https://t.co/WPHuecEyck

— no_filter_Yamba (@no_filter_Yamba) May 9, 2021

Video showing log removal from bridge in February 2021 flooding

 The Daily Telegraph, 7 May 2021:

Although the recent floods weren’t the worst in history, it has left authorities with a large amount of damage to clean up.

Clarence Valley Council general manager Ashley Lindsay said the total cost of the repair bill may be up to $7-8m, of which much would be paid for by Essential Public Asset Restoration Works funding.

The flood, which reached major levels on the Clarence and Orara, caused damage to 103 roads in the Clarence Valley.

There were three major storm water systems that needed replacing at Wooli Road (pictured), Kangaroo Creek Road and Shipmans Road, costing an average of $320,000 each.

Mr Lindsay said the most significant damage was at the Tallawydja Creek bridge approach where the creek’s water course had dramatically altered.

Among the many issues, an inspection with Transport for NSW engineers determined that if left unchecked, a 15-20m section of road formation would be lost in the next flood event, closing the road and possibly damaging the bridge.

The cost of a long-term solution would be well over $1m pending review of proposed concept options for the restoration.

Mr Lindsay said that EPAR funding would also be sought for Six Mile Lane, Patemans Road, Sandy Swamp Road and Gorge Road causeways, which were heavily impacted after each flood event and improvements were required to provide resilience for local assets and the community. Other repairs included in the costs were drainage clean-up, waste pick-up and unsealed road repairs.

 

State of Play New South Wales: roads, death, trauma costs and safety data covering years 2012-2021

In March 2021 the Australian Government Dept. of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications released its road deaths data for New South Wales covering the twelve months to March 2021:

NSW Road Deaths for March to March periods ending on 31 March 2012 through to 31 March 2021

In the 12 months up to 31 March 2021, “Drivers” was the largest fatality group involved in a motor vehicle accident, the biggest fatality age group was those between 40 and 64 years of age and men had the highest gender fatality figures.

From 1 January to 31 March 2021 there were a total of 73 road deaths in New South Wales

In March 2021 the NRMA also released its annual “Rate Your Roads” report for regional New South Wales which looked at the cost of road accident trauma.

Northern NSW falls into the NRMA’s Townsend region.

Northern Rivers Total Road Trauma Cost Breakdown for 2014-2018:

Clarence Valley – $492,364,548

Tweed – $472,172,580

Lismore – $ 279,501,896

Richmond Valley – $278,021,556

Ballina – $223,471,769

Byron – $204,822,770

Kyogle – $138,242,279.

The headline cost of trauma varies in the Townsend region from nearly $500 million in Clarence Valley, to around $16 million in Brewarrina. There is significant variance of these due to the population and size of the road network of the respective LGAs.

But on average, the cost of road trauma is approximately $155 million per LGA.

When adjusted per head of population, each LGA is in a narrower band of generally approximately $6,000 to $15,000 per person, with a few outliners.

Some LGAs might have a disproportionately large or small road network, and a road trauma cost/km may be beneficial. There is a significant amount of variance from around $8,000/km in Brewarrina to $300,000/km in Tweed.

Adjusting for both population and road network size might be considered a pseudo-equitable outcome. On this specific metric, Tamworth Regional LGA represents the ‘safest’ LGA in the NRMA Townsend region, with a road trauma cost of $1.80/person/km. 

In contrast, Walcha is the ‘least safe’ LGA, with a road trauma cost of $22.18/person/km. This means that after accounting for the difference in the size of the road network and population, the Walcha LGA has nearly 15 times more road trauma than Tamworth Regional Council LGA…… 

Northern Rivers “Rate Your Roads” 2021 survey participants gave the following overall safety scores for the road systems in their local government areas:

Ballina – 47.50%

Tweed – 47.16%

Richmond Valley – 46.16%

Clarence Valley – 38.39%

Kyogle – 37.40%

Lismore – 31.85%

Byron – 30.61%.

Round Two of the accelerated Fixing Local Roads program is now open and hopefully all Northern Rivers local councils from Clarence to the Tweed will be successful in their applications

 

From the Office of Labor MP for Lismore, media release, 3 November 2020:

Lismore MP Janelle Saffin is urging the four local councils in her Electorate of Lismore to put forward shovel-ready projects for Round 2 of the accelerated Fixing Local Roads program which opened yesterday (2 November 2020).

Ms Saffin she hoped Lismore City, Kyogle, Tenterfield and Tweed shires would secure their fair share of an additional $136.4 million in funding which would be injected into regional New South Wales to generate more jobs and stimulate local economies.

“Local councils currently do the heavy lifting because they are responsible for maintaining over 85 per cent of the total 180,000-kilometre-long road network in New South Wales, including local roads (about 80 per cent of that network) and regional roads,” Ms Saffin said.

“There is no doubt that we need better and safer roads right across the Electorate of Lismore and our local communities also need extra help to recover from the economic impacts of drought, bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Fixing Local Roads is a grant-based program, where local councils can apply for funding to repair, patch, maintain and seal priority local council roads.

“Applications can be made for a 100 per cent contribution from the NSW Government for specific works but councils are encouraged to co-contribute with funds or in-kind contributions.

“Applications for Round 2 of the Australian Government-NSW Government program remain open until Friday, 4 December 2020.

“Shovel-ready projects will need to start this financial year and be delivered within two years, according the program’s updated guidelines.”

The Australian Government committed $191 million in June this year to build on the NSW Government’s $500-million program over five years.

Guidelines and a factsheet for Round 2 of the Fixing Local Roads Program can be found here www.rms.nsw.gov.au/fixinglocalroads

List of 93 eligible regional councils can be found at https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/documents/business-industry/partners-and-suppliers/lgr/grant-programs/fixing-local-roads-eligibility-list.pdf.

Funding eligibility guidelines are at https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/documents/business-industry/partners-and-suppliers/lgr/grant-programs/fixing-local-roads-program-guidelines.pdf.

Access to Treelands Drive from Yamba Road will be temporarily closed from Tuesday 6 October 2020 with diversions in place for about two weeks

The Daily Telegraph, 29 September 2020:

One of Yamba’s busiest intersections will be closed to traffic for two weeks as work to install a new roundabout is undertaken. 

Access to Treelands Drive from Yamba Road will be temporarily closed from Tuesday October 6 with diversions in place for about two weeks, weather conditions permitting. 

Road users will be diverted via Osprey Drive and Shores Drive, and detour signs will be in place. 

Access to Yamba Fair’s western carpark from Yamba Road will still be available, and the shopping centre will be open for business as per usual. 

A Clarence Valley Council spokesman urged motorists to plan ahead and allow extra time.

NSW Roads & Maritime Services finally come clean: We don't give a damn about any of the concerns Woombah & Iluka residents have about our asphalt plant, it's only Pacific Complete's bottom line that matters

The Daily Examiner via Press Reader, 1 August 2018:

ROADS and Martime Services has revealed it will build at least two asphalt batching plants near the Pacific Highway, most likely between Tyndale and the Iluka turnoff, next year.

Pacific Highway general manager Bob Higgins said the RMS has pressed the pause button on construction of one plant at Woombah, but the need to supply the Glenugie to Iluka Rd turnoff section with 170,000 tonnes of asphalt would require two plants.

He said the RMS would review the supply strategy for the manufacture and delivery of asphalt on the stretch of highway upgrade after protests from the Woombah community.

But Mr Higgins said if push came to shove when the RMS review decided on locations, residents’ objections would take second place to the technical needs of the project. [my yellow highlighting]

What a travesty Pacific Highway Upgrade community consultations are cannot get much clearer than this.

I'm sure local residents will not be pleased to have their fears confirmed.

Whether he meant to or not, Bob Higgins has probably just cemented the proposed Woombah asphalt batching site as a March 2019 NSW state election issue in the Clarence electorate for both the NSW National Party and the Berejiklian Coalition Government.

No-one likes to be told their valid concerns - about environmental impact, road safety, air quality and potential reduction in tourism numbers which underpin the local economy - don't matter to the state government down in Sydney.

BACKGROUND

Pacific Highway Upgrade 2018: the saga of the unwanted Woombah asphalt batching plant continues

Pacific Highway Upgrade has hit a noticeable bump in the road and the fault lies firmly with NSW Roads and Maritime Services, Pacific Complete, the Minister for Roads and the National Party

Not everyone was impressed by NSW Roads and Maritime Services temporary asphalt batching plant "drop-in information session"

NSW Berejiklian Government 2018: How not to conduct a community consultation in the Clarence Valley, NSW

A CERTAIN RMS ASPHALT BATCHING PLANT: Open Letter to NSW Premier & Liberal MP for Willoughby, Gladys Berejiklian, as well as Minister for Roads Maritime and Freight & Nationals MP for Oxley, Melinda Pavey

Pacific Highway Upgrade 2018: the saga of the unwanted Woombah asphalt batching plant continues

In its latest letterbox drop to Woombah and Iluka communities on 30 July 2018 NSW Road and Maritime Services (RMS) has admitted that, despite a commitment to review the proposed site of the Woombah temporary asphalt plant servicing the Iluka to Devil’s Pulpit section of the Pacific Highway upgrade, it still intends to place 4,000 tons of asphalt on this site by Christmas 2018.

As if from these photographs below locals could not already tell that the plan to use the site for asphalt batching remains active - despite strong community opposition based on road safety, air quality, health and environmental concerns.

Photographs supplied anonymously

On 24 July 2018 “three cars collided at the Iluka Road turnoff at Mororo at around 1:30pm, closing down one lane of the Pacific Highway heading north. It is not known about the condition of those involved in the incident, however emergency services were again quick to restore the heavy flow of traffic”.

This turnoff is the temporary Pacific Highway-Garrets Lane intersection created in March 2018 by NSW Roads and Maritime Services and Pacific Complete as the highway upgrade proceeds along a 27 kilometre stretch. 

It is also the intersection now used by heavy vehicles accessing the proposed site of the temporary asphalt batching plant.

It is an intersection and road Pacific Complete is assuring local residents has been designed and built in accordance with the design criteria.

As the Iluka and Woombah communities were not supplied with a detailed traffic audit for the road design or the change to road design which is set to occur in 2019, they have to take the consortium's word that this is so.

If the complaints by some local residents of being harried by impatient construction truck drivers as they attempt to negotiate the Pacific Highway-Garrets Lane turnoff are any indication, between now and Christmas there may be another collision there.

RMS and Pacific Complete have promised to hold information sessions with the two communities again - one version states sessions commence on 30 July 2018 and another rather obscure document states they commence on 30 August 2018.

July 30 has come and gone without that particular information session taking place.

The deadline for submissions on the temporary asphalt batching plant is 10 August 2018.

Given that deadline, either RMS and Pacific Complete are the most appalling managers of the community consultation process or they are trying to limit the ability to submit fully informed written responses by10 August.

The suspicion that National Party cronyism has played a part in the choice of site is starting to be quietly muttered under the breath as well. It seems Lower Clarence River folk have long memories.

This botched Iluka to Devil's Pulpit highway construction planning and community consultation is likely to be on the minds of quite a few Woombah and Iluka residents as they cast their votes at the NSW state election in March next year.

Pacific Highway Upgrade has hit a noticeable bump in the road and the fault lies firmly with NSW Roads and Maritime Services, Pacific Complete, the Minister for Roads and the National Party

In July 2018 the NSW Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) was called to account by the communities of Woombah and Iluka for a lack of transparency and only paying lip service to community consultation with regard to the Iluka to Devil's Pulpit Section 6 stage of the Pacific Highway upgrade and, the plan to site a temporary asphalt batching plant and a foamed bitumen plant on a rural lot adjoining the Pacific Highway-Iluka Road T-intersection.

Iluka Road is the only road in and out of both of these small villages whose local economies are heavily reliant on a clean, green, family friendly image and nature-based tourism.

This is the official response of the Pacific Highway upgrade consortium to date:

NSW Roads and Maritime Services, Media Release, W2B Extension to Consultation Period for the Proposed Tempo... by clarencegirl on Scribd

Nationals MP For Clarence Chris Gulaptis in another media release characterised the RMS-Pacific Complete response as Back to the drawing board for Clarence Pacific Highway upgrade asphalt plant temporary asphalt batch plant.

It is unfortunate that he did so, as Woombah residents can clearly see that site preparation on the lot is still proceeding for the temporary asphalt plant and foamed bitumen plant.

Which leaves some residents concerned that Chris Gulaptis is primarily focused on commercial needs of the Pacific Complete consortium and, that NSW Roads and Maritime Services having been caught out are now merely going through the motions so that there is a suitable paper trail should the issue become even more contentious and so come to the notice of Minister for Roads Maritime and Freight, Melinda Pavey.

Residents point out that Jackybulbin and the Rest Area approximately five kilometres away are ideal sites. That the Woombah lot is probably the construction consortium's preferred ancillary site simply because they have an existing lease there.

In response to Gulaptis' spin for the consumption of local media, Woombah and Iluka residents opposing the preferred site have stated in an email:

1. Woombah and Iluka stand united in expressing 'no confidence' in the Laing O'Rourke/Brinkerhoff unincorporated consortium known as "Pacific Complete". Laing O'Orurke is the correct identity for publishing as it is the INSURED PARTY (see attached). Laing O'Rourke Australian arm is for sale and Brinkerhoff is the named party in several issues with previous works such as Lane Cove Tunnel.

2. "Pacific Complete" has been negligent in [failing to notify] the affected members of the communities (all road users of these communities including children on buses and visitors and assessing the proposed shared access roads) and the lack of experience by the "Pacific Complete" Project Team has caused serious distress to the residents of Woombah and Iluka due to two failed communications engagements.

3. "Pacific Complete" and the Roads & Maritime Service NSW has pursued it's objectives and shown complete disregard toward the genuine safety and security issues that will be faced by residents using Iluka Rd to the Iluka Road Pacific Highway turn-off.

4. "Pacific Complete" failed in its duty to correctly identify and assess all viable sites for the asphalt plant.

5. At this time "Pacific Complete" and RMS have offered no traffic solution in the event that no other suitable location of the plant can be identified.

6. Should "Pacific Complete" and the RMS pursue the Woombah site for the Asphalt Batch Plant with no dedicated route for construction/plant vehicles, residents of Woombah & Iluka will consider forming a class action lawsuit against the parties for wilful endangerment.

7. Objectives now are to monitor Pacific Complete to take the preferred site as one of other now five options that do not affect traffic, local residents and the environment.

8. January is Pacific Complete peak movement of trucks month for the Asphalt Plant. They did not consider this ….would affect our peak Holiday period?

Research by local residents also suggests that RMS and Pacific Complete may not be fully compliant with guidelines for the establishment of ancillary facilities when it comes to the Woombah site.

Of particular concern is; (i) the south west flow of surface water on the lot and, whether during any high rainfall event over the next two and a half years, contaminated water might escape and flow from the batching plant infrastructure into the 80ha Mororo Creek Nature Reserve and then along the final est. 2.5km length of the creek which empties into the Clarence River estuary and (ii) the proposed shared access road for heavy trucks and residents' cars and school buses now intersects with the proposed ancillary site at a point which is a known koala crossing.

Image contributed

The next NSW state election will be held on 23 March 2019 in just eight months time.

If the Woobah site remains the preferred site, by then the asphalt batching plant (and possibly the foamed bitumen plant) will have been operational for at least five months and up to 500 heavy truck movements a day will have been occurring over that time with peak activity coinciding with the Woombah-Iluka annual summer tourism period 

One wonders what the Berejiklian Government down in Sydney and the NSW National Party were thinking.

Do they really believe the dust, noise, odour and disruptive traffic will endear Chris Gulaptis to voters in these towns on polling day?