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- 26 September 2007
Ocean Shores Noise Reduction Measures
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Speakers - Page Mr Donald
Business - Private Members Statements
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Page: 2394
Mr DONALD PAGE (Ballina) [5.29 p.m.]: On behalf of residents in the Ocean Shores area I raise the issue of excessive noise, especially at night, as a result of trucks now using the upgraded Yelgun to Brunswick Heads section of the Pacific Highway. Whilst most people understand and agree that the Pacific Highway between Hexham and the Queensland border must be upgraded to dual carriageway as quickly as possible—and I certainly advocate this cause continually—it is important that those communities who adjoin the highway be protected from the excessive noise being generated by an increasing number of trucks, especially at night.
Of particular concern to Ocean Shores residents is the placement of ripple strips on the upgraded highway and the noise generated by trucks running on these ripple strips. This noise is causing sleep deprivation and all of its flow-on effects. Recently I attended a meeting of over 200 angry Ocean Shores residents who voiced their concerns about highway noise in vigorous and passionate terms. Essentially what the residents want is removal of the ripple strips through this residential area, an immediate commencement of noise monitoring tests by the Roads and Traffic Authority or its subcontractor and the construction of noise mitigation barriers to reduce noise levels for Ocean Shores residents. I undertook at that public meeting to try to get a meeting with the Minister for Roads and a small delegation of local residents. I am hopeful such a meeting can occur soon, although it is now well over a month since I asked his office for this meeting. In the meantime a letter from the roads Minister to the Federal member for Richmond has been received that raises serious concerns in my mind about the advice the Minister is getting. For example, the letter states:
The RTA will measure the maximum noise levels on sections of the project with and without the audible edge lines to compare the difference ?
This statement clearly indicates the Minister's lack of knowledge of the project as there are no sections of the road at Ocean Shores that do not have the ripple strips. The Minister for Roads further states in his letter:
If the noise levels exceed the approved criteria for the project, then further noise mitigation works will be considered.
When the project was approved by the then Acting Minister for Urban Affairs and Planning in 1999, condition 34 required the Roads and Traffic Authority to ensure the implementation of further noise mitigation measures if the noise exceeded that allowable. The road has been operational since 11 July 2007, yet no noise monitoring has been undertaken since then and the Minister is now trying to back away from the conditions of approval. The Roads and Traffic Authority does not have an option. It must put in place noise mitigation to comply with the conditions of ministerial consent, should noise levels exceed those specified in the approval. This is why it is so important for noise monitoring to be done now and not wait for several more months. I call on the Minister to direct the Roads and Traffic Authority to commence noise monitoring now and not to wait any longer.
A representative of the affected residents stated in a letter to the Minister for Roads that the Roads and Traffic Authority claims to have received only 34 complaints about the noise for this section of the highway. Yet at a public meeting at Ocean Shores in August over 200 people unanimously confirmed their complaints in the presence of two senior authority officers. The residents further submitted to the authority a petition containing 120 signatures of residents directly affected by the noise. At that meeting the Roads and Traffic Authority representative was also handed a location map with affected residences clearly marked.
The use of ripple strips was also raised at that meeting. A Government report following the use of the same strips on the F3 in Sydney found that the strips caused a significant noise problem, which led to the Roads and Traffic Authority upgrading the noise mitigation measures on that section of road. It is difficult to understand, given the authority's knowledge of the problems with using ripple strips in residential areas why it chose to use them in a residential area such as Ocean Shores, especially as other sections of the upgraded Pacific Highway in isolated areas do not have ripple strips. In addition, the use of the ripple strips was not advised in the public documentation available for comment prior to construction.
In relation to the noise levels to be monitored, I believe that it is inappropriate for these levels to be averaged over a nine-hour period when the noise that wakes people up and disrupts their sleep is often irregular loud noise like compression braking or trucks running on the ripples, which may last less than a minute but which causes sleep deprivation. Many of the residents affected by the noise created by this upgraded section of the Pacific Highway are retirees and young families who chose Ocean Shores for the peace and quiet it offered. Their peace is being shattered by noise generated by an ever-increasing number of trucks on this new road especially when these trucks run on the ripple strips. They need noise monitoring to be done straight away. I call upon the Minister for Roads to address this issue as a matter of urgency to deliver justice for the residents of Ocean Shores.
Last modified 05/12/2007 16:47:34 : Update this page