At its ordinary meeting of 11 February 2013, after many
contributions from individual Councilors, and an address on behalf of
Wollongong Transport Coalition (WTC), Wollongong City Council resolved unanimously that:
- Council make an
urgent submission to
a.
The Draft Freight and Port Strategy.
b.
The NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure regarding the
Boral Quarry extension.
- Council utilise
the expertise and information provided by Dr Philip Laird and the
submission also include concerns regarding traffic congestion, noise
impact, air pollution, road damage and safety.
- Council make
representations to the Minister for Finance and Services and Minister
for the Illawarra, The Hon. Greg Pearce MLC, and the Minister for
Roads and Ports and Deputy Leader of the Government in the
Legislative Council, The Hon. Duncan Gay MLC, along with local NSW
Government MPs and local Members of the NSW Opposition, to assist
economic growth through improved transport infrastructure.
In addition, at its meeting of 6 February, Council's Neighbourhood
Forum 5 (NF5) resolved on traffic matters:
- lodge a submission objecting to
proposals to place up to an extra 0.5 million tonnes of quarry products
from Boral's Dunmore quarry on Mt Ousley and other Wollongong main roads
and call for a review of train path availability to allow an extra quarry
product train a day instead of Boral's plans to use road haulage.
- lodge a submission to TfNSW re its
draft Freight and Ports Strategy calling, inter alia, for more bulk and
container freight onto rail, and 20 per cent of car imports via Port
Kembla to go onto rail (as per the development consent for the inner
harbour)
- promote an upgrade of the
intersection of Mount Ousley Road with the F6 before there are further fatalities;
- seek the support of local MPs for
these.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Please consider writing your own submissions to support those of
Council, NF5 and WTC).
Re Boral's proposals for more road haulage from Dunmore Quarry
-submissions to the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure close 28 February 2013 - see
and cite DA 470-11-2003 Mod 6.
Re the NSW
draft Freight and Ports Strategy - submissions to Transport for NSW
close 15 March 2013 - see
Remember, submissions do not have to be
long. Let the decision makers know how you feel about current proposals for
more trucks.
You could, if you wish, express
support for statements on page 4 of the current 2006-2031 Illawarra Regional Strategy
of the Department of Planning as follows: "It is important that the
Region's transport networks support economic growth and maximise the efficiency
of freight transport. In particular, what is required are strategic transport
corridors to support development of the port of Port Kembla, increase the proportion of freight
transported by rail, efficiently link regional centres and towns, and
support public transport."
In regards to the NSW draft Freight and Ports Strategy, Task 3B2
is to "Mitigate noise from freight operations" but this overlooks the
fact that truck noise close to the Mt Ousley road and F6 like the numbers of trucks on these roads,
is increasing. Requests by a local State MP for the authorities to install
truck more noise monitors; one on the northbound lanes of Mt Ousley (for
vehicles climbing Mt Ousley), and, on the F6 at Gwynneville, to record traffic
and truck noise, for trucks moving in each direction, have been to date
denied.
You could ask,
along with more priority being given to move freight by rail (or in the case of
Bass Point Quarry, by sea) that the Task 3B2 be amended to give more attention
to:
Truck noise
monitoring
Publication of
noise limits and progress towards meeting these
limits
Consideration of
legislation to ensure compliance with noise
limits.
