HIGHWAY SAFETY ACTION GROUP OF NSW INCORPORATED

Issues arising from a Public Meeting on the Orange City by-pass

held at Waratah Sports Club,

1^st August 2000

Outcome

The meeting was attended by 100 members of the Orange community. They voted unanimously that a by-pass/distributor/ring road of any description was not an appropriate development for any residential areas in the city.

The meeting requested that a list of questions be sent to Council in order to clarify a number of outstanding issues. The meeting expressly asked that Council address these issues as the representatives of the community of Orange. The issues are as follows:

By-pass/distributor/ring road

1. What sort of road is being proposed for Orange?
   Many people understood that the new road would be a major by-pass enabling trucks to travel past Orange without impacting on local traffic. This road would be at least 80km/hr and not contain lights or any other impediments. Councillor Gleeson has said the proposed road will actually be a distributor road to distribute traffic around the city and only 60km/hr.
2. Have the economic and social benefits of a distributor road versus a by-pass been assessed and what are they?
3. Has Council looked at the general traffic management plans of other NSW country towns that have constructed by-pass roads?
4. Could you address concerns that a distributor road will simply become a de-facto by-pass?
5. Has Council considered supporting a by-pass, which will become the Mitchell Hwy, and run distributor roads off the by-pass into key industrial areas?
6. Leeds Parade has cost $0.5million. Why isn't this sufficient access for the industrial estate in the north of the city?

Heavy vehicles

1. What is the latest data available on the movements of heavy vehicles in and around the city, including Summer Street?
2. What evidence is there to suggest that the majority of heavy vehicles will use a distributor road rather than go through the centre of the city?
3. How will B-doubles be able to negotiate a road that is filled with round-abouts?
4. What impact will a distributor road have on the movement of heavy vehicles down Summer Street?

URS study

1. What are the terms of reference for the study?
2. Why has Council contracted URS at $24,000 to consult with residents when a properly implement communication strategy would have done this?
3. How will the three two-hour focus groups of 10 provide URS with a sufficient cross-section of views and access to expertise to determine the best route for the new road?
4. Given that Council was determined to engage a consultant and that URS are now considering two southern and four northern routes as options for the new road, why wasn't the URS report commissioned before Council made its decision in February?

Economic development

1. Could Council please provide a copy of the studies and/or statistics supporting its statements about business growth in the northern part of the city?
2. On what basis has the assumption that the abattoir will increase its kill capacity over the next five years been made?
3. If stock is sourced from the new saleyards will they be transported to the abattoir on the new road?

Accountability

1. On what basis did Council move its support from the southern route (documented in attachment one) to the northern route?
2. If hydrology issues were a key determinant, why was the southern option ever considered for a road as the catchment has always been to the south of the city?
3. Would a distributor road be funded by ratepayers of Orange or by the State Government?
4. How many times has funding for a by-pass been sought from the State Government?
5. Has funding ever been sought for a northern option from the State Government?
6. What are the comparative costs of the proposed northern and southern ring road routes?
7. What is the timeframe for the development?
8. What has been Council's plan for communicating with the community about the new road?
9. Has Council provided a comprehensive information package (including detailed maps, traffic measurement statistics, options for noise abatement and other improvements to residential amenity etc) that has been widely available to residents? If not, why not?
10. Why did Allan Dwyer, Council's General Manager, assert that Stage 6 of the proposed new road (actually the first stage) would not go ahead?
11. Can Councillor Glenn Taylor's comments to several members of the HSAG that the issue is "dead in the water" and no-one should worry about it, be backed up with any information from Council?

Report on URS workshops

The HSAG attended one the workshops held by URS, the Sydney consulting firm engaged by Council to select a preferred route for the new road. Graham Dun presented a copy of his proposed southern by-pass route for consideration. Marj Bollinger presented a copy of a Department of Main Roads' document estimated to date between 1966 and 1970 titled 'Traffic Relief for Orange' as a reference document only. The document recommended a northern route, which would have been excellent at that point in time, as there was no development visible along the proposed route. In light of the passing of time and subsequent residential development in the area it would now be totally inappropriate.

The HSAG asked that it be noted within the report that the brief provided to URS was far too narrow to be able to arrive at a realistic conclusion with the ability to solve the problems of all stakeholders.

The consultants admitted to experiencing many of the problems encountered by residents in attempting to communicate with Orange City Council. No date has been set for the report's release.

Conclusion

There are clearly a large number of unanswered questions and unaddressed issues surrounding the development of a by-pass or distributor road in Orange. This is notwithstanding, and perhaps even because of, the long lead-time this project has had. People have heard the by-pass talked about so often that it has developed a sense of unreality and they have switched off the issue. This lack of interest coupled with poor communication from Council as a whole has led to the current situation. Comments by individual councillors on the issue only serve to muddy the waters and create confusion as stories change.

The HSAG feels that any information and communication on the issue of the new road should come from Council as a whole and be predicated on a community driven communication strategy, which includes a public meeting and an active agenda to properly inform and consult with residents on this issue. The HSAG and northern residents action group are happy to work with Council and other community groups to get a successful consensus-driven outcome on this matter.

The HSAG is holding a special by-pass meeting on 12^th September 2000 at the PCYC

at 7pm. Visitors are welcome. Please call Marj Bollinger on 63668593 for detail or check the HSAG website at www.regional.org.au/hsag