In fact, up to 3 million tonnes of coal per annum. The development could result in 682 truck movements daily at peak times on Bellambi Lane and the Northern Distributor, or one truck every 80 seconds, causing unacceptable public health impacts from coal dust, diesel exhaust, noise and traffic congestion.
Plus: the Southern Freeway and Springhill Road. All in all more heavy trucks about 12 km of busy public roads.
The proposal raises a number of transport questions.
- The first question is how the proposal accords with the official 2006-2031 Illawarra Regional Strategy of the NSW Department of Planning to (p4) "maximise the efficiency of freight transport [and] "increase the proportion of freight transported by rail"
Clearly, more coal on road would also reduce "the proportion of freight
transported by rail".
- The second question is why a Maldon Dombarton railway cannot be used to move run of mill coal from a western outlet to Port Kembla ?
- The third question is why does the Environmental Assessment not consider:
A. The full impact, including cumulative impacts, on top of extra wheat trucks approved in late 2011 and the extra quarry trucks from Bass Point Quarry (let alone Boral's proposed extra trucks), of extra coal trucks from the NRE mine.
B. Alternatives such as the Maldon Dombarton railway.
Illawarra Residents for Responsible Mining Incorporated (IRRM) is a group formed in response to the current operations and proposed expansion of the Gujarat NRE No. 1 Colliery in Russell Vale.
Their website http://www.irrm.org.au/ has further information.
Submissions on the Major Expansion Proposal will be accepted by Dept of Planning and Infrastructure until Friday 5 April. Please see:
http://majorprojects.planning.nsw.gov.au/index.pl?action=view_job&job_id=3448 for more information and how to lodge a submission by 5 April.
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