4 - Haul Route Response - B14101TL001

25 May, 2015                                -4-
Our File Ref: B14101TL001
Contact: Steve Williams



We believe that the correspondence attached is adequate and appropriate at this stage.
As part of the detailed design process we could provide a more detailed tree
identification survey if this were considered appropriate and work with Council with
respect to any replacement planting.


2.     Alternate Access Route
The current access route for the vehicles associated with the proposal would result in
vehicles travelling to/from the Bruce Highway via Top Forestry Road, Old Ceylon Road,
Cooroy-Belli Creek Road, Maple Street, Crystal Street and Myal Street as represented
by Figure 3-1 of our initial traffic assessment report (see attached Figure 3-1).

As requested by Council we have considered the potential for an alternate access route
to/from the site. The two options contemplated include:

•      travelling to/from the Bruce Highway via Top Forestry Road, Old Ceylon Road,
       Cooroy-Belli Creek Road (through Ridgewood), Skyring Creek Road and
       Eumundi-Kenilworth Road; and
•      travelling to/from the Bruce Highway via Top Forestry Road, Old Ceylon Road,
       and Eumundi-Kenilworth Road; and

The initial alternate route noted above would result in additional 19km of travel which
over the life of the project would be completely unviable. From a strictly traffic
engineering perspective this would result in significant additional travel costs and
distance travelled on the local road network by heavy vehicles associated with the
proposal prior to gaining access to the higher order road network. This alternative would
require the vehicles to travel via Cooroy-Belli Creek Road through Ridgewood which
includes a section of sealed one-lane road which, based on Councils position with
respect to Top Forestry Road, is likely to result in additional upgrades being required by
Council. This route has a number of relatively winding sections of road and some
grades that are not encountered on the preferred route via Cooroy. This route is not
considered to represent a viable and importantly reasonable alternative.

The second route would be similar in distance to the preferred route. However this
alternate route, involving initially travelling south on Old Ceylon Road from Top Forestry
Road rather than initially heading north through to Cooroy-Belli Creek Road, would result
in vehicles associated with the use needing to traverse a number of narrow section of
road including one lane/two way sealed sections of road and additional unsealed road
sections of a lesser standard than the existing form of Top Forestry Road. As noted
above, based on Councils position with respect to Top Forestry Road, it is then likely that
this alternate route would result in additional upgrades being required by Council. This
route is not considered to represent a viable and importantly reasonable alternative.

Importantly the travel route previously identified and as preferred by our client is on our
view the most appropriate route from a traffic engineering perspective. Further we are of
the understanding that issues associated with noise have been addressed as part of the
noise reports prepared by others.