CONSULTATIONS on the preferred route of the Albion Park Rail Bypass have unearthed what some believe are potentially serious problems.
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Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) held several information sessions to outline the project and identify a preferred route for the bypass. Submissions closed on Monday this week.
The proposed 9.8 kilometre bypass will link Yallah and Oak Flats via a four-lane road built to the west of Albion Park Rail.
Members of Albion Park Chamber of Commerce met with RMS last week to discuss some of their “serious concerns” about the preferred option.
Chamber president Graham Morrison said there was “no certainty” of building exit ramps for Albion Park, for northbound traffic.
“This means there is no other way of getting off the expressway other than from the Oak Flats roundabout, which is five kilometres away from Albion Park,” he said.
“We want this bypass, but the way it stands at the moment, there isn’t going to be any benefit to Albion Park, in fact it could have the opposite affect and no one will go to Albion Park.”
- Graham Morrison- Albion Park Chamber of Commerce
An RMS spokesperson said additional access points for people travelling to and from Albion Park from the south were included, however, the current traffic modelling showed the ramps may not be needed during the construction period and the matter would be assessed as the project developed.
Mr Morrison said the chamber was also concerned about the bypass’ impact on flooding with plans to construct a three metre raised road using earth (hardfill) over the floodplain (Illawarra Highway).
Meadowview Dairy Farm is located on the floodplain and is in the direct path of the preferred option.
Third generation dairy farmers Phillip and Craig Tate said they were “gobsmacked” when they found out there were plans to put a hardfill road across the floodplain.
“The volume of water that goes through here in a flood event is just massive. We’re talking water that stretches across two kilometres and two meters deep,” he said.
“Instead of the water spreading across the floodplain, it will dam-up creating flooding issues that will move into Albion Park. With only three or four culverts proposed for the water to pass through, it will just bank up and create erosion issues.”
The preferred option has a combination of bridges and earthwork and an RMS spokesperson said flood modelling would continue to minimise impact.
Mr Tate said building the bypass as a bridge would alleviate potential flooding into the town and simultaneously create an underpass which would lessen the impact on their business.
Of the dairy farms 200 acres, the RMS has indicated they plan to build across 60 acres.
Meadowview is one of Albion Park’s four remaining dairy farms and it produces 4.5 million litres of milk a year.
Mr Tate said they had plans to expand the business but the bypass would be built over most of the high-ground needed when operating on a floodplain and the RMS had not yet provided access points for cattle and farming equipment.
The RMS said they would assess the impact on agricultural land in the environmental impact statement, which will commence following community feedback and is expected to go on exhibition late 2015.
For more information rms.nsw.gov.au/projects/illawarra/albion-park-rail-bypass/index.html.