Andrew Winton-Brown, Possum Creek.
The two proposals intend to fill most of the site above the assessed flood level by 0.5m and estimates vary that that will require between 300,000 and 500,000 cubic metres of fill.
While both DA’s make no attempt to assess and source this material (in contravention of LEP 1988, 98B Earthworks 3(f)) for the purpose of some figures I assume that a quarry of suitable, available and legal material can be provided say within 30 minutes truck driving time from the site.
Doing some simple maths, If we take the worst case scenario of 500,000 cu m, and if we were to assume twenty (20) trucks with dog trailers capable of delivering 8cu m to the site per trip, it would take these twenty trucks 10 hours per day (7am to 6pm), for six days a week, for about 18 months depending on the weather and other delays. That would be about one truck every 3.5 minutes travelling in each direction, entering and exiting the site.
A 300,000 cu m estimate means less truck movements, there might be also a longer construction period, if the developments could be staged over some more years the rate of movements would be less.
But the totals remain and the total load impact of between 600,000 and 1,000,000 tonnes of fill material on the Ewingsdale Road also remains.
There has been no assessment on the impact of these truck movements either on the existing traffic or the pavement on Ewingsdale Road. This road already is showing signs of heaving, loss of shape, distortion, fracture and pavement failure in a number of places and traffic stress in peak periods.
The sourcing of fill and transport to site must be a significant factor in the assessment these two developments. The number and frequency of truck movements will have a significant impact on the volume, flow and safety of the Ewingsdale Road traffic over an 18 month period, extending over the two major tourist periods, Christmas and Easter at least once. There will also be other construction proceeding in a staged manner as work proceeds with a number of other trades and suppliers also entering and exiting the site adding more truck and commercial traffic movements. It is suggested that over 1000 residences will ultimately be constructed.
Traffic delays occur now – how will it be with another large truck added every 3.5 minutes (or less) and the potholes getting even bigger and more of them?
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