Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) say they are still consulting but Hunter MP Joel Fitzgibbon believes they may soon recommend a bypass for Scone.
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Meanwhile the Upper Hunter Shire Council has launched another blistering attack on the RMS bypass plan.
“Roads and Maritime Services is poised to recommend the town be by-passed (their Option 1)” Mr Fitzgibbon wrote in a letter to residents last week.
Mr Fitzgibbon criticises the longer timeline and the $30 million higher cost of a bypass rather than an overpass at the crossing, as well as it’s impact on businesses.
“(A bypass) will take all through traffic out of town with potential adverse impacts on local businesses,” he writes.
However he said he will support the recommendation “if it is what the community wants” and asks for feedback by May 3.
Council has their own solution to the problem of trains bisecting the town and trucks clogging the main street.
“Council’s option is a better option,” council general manager Daryl Dutton said.
“Irrespective of the fact that the council’s proposal is almost half the cost of the RMS bypass Option 1, it provides unfettered access for local traffic as well as highway traffic, allows heavy vehicles around the CBD of Scone, provides a “browsing” lane for locals parking in the CBD, roundabouts at Susan and Kingdon Streets to slow down CBD traffic, with traffic lights at Muffet Street for heavy vehicles access to and from the Industrial Estate.
“The RMS bypass does not resolve the trains through town issue, with both railway level crossings to remain and with increased train numbers and speeds, significantly more disruption to the town than exists now. The bypass fails the objective of resolving the effects of coal trains on Scone,” Mr Dutton said.
“The RMS bypass option cuts through the Golf Course, through the Bill Rose Sports Complex,
rendering both facilities almost useless for recreation purposes, cutting across the floodplain, forcing flood waters onto the Sewer Treatment Works and further west.
“A Flood Study has not been undertaken to determine whether or not this option is even viable, yet the RMS still seem to promote this option- why?
“The bypass option is over a kilometre longer than the current highway, adding extra time for freight. Where is the benefit for highway traffic, at great cost to the Scone community through effect on local infrastructure and business?”
Mayor Michael Johnson also had harsh words for the RMS processes.
“Council and the community have been mushroomed by the RMS,” Cr Johnsen said.
“Council has not had a seat at the table in the decision making process, allowed to make submissions then leave. It’s just not acceptable.
“Council has engaged with its community on the issue with many briefings to individuals and groups, including Scone Chamber of Commerce, receiving positive feedback from its holistic proposal, yet RMS appear ignorant of considered local opinion, not shallow surveys,” Cr Johnsen said.
Council is concerned that simplistic responses to the local member and RMS by people who haven’t thought the issue through or who merely want to transfer the problem somewhere else, will distort the real situation.”
RMS promises more displays and consultation
Roads and Maritime Services will have another display of options for Scone in May.
“RMS is continuing to work with stakeholders to finalise planning for a preferred option for the New England Highway rail level crossing in Scone,” an RMS spokesperson said this week
The RMS community update of November 2012 stated “RMS is targeting to identify the recommended preferred option by the end of 2012.”
An RMS media release on March 22 stated, “There will be an additional round of public display in the next few weeks for the Scone railway crossing feasibility study.”
No display has occurred.
“RMS is planning for another display to provide the community a further opportunity to provide input prior to recommendation of the preferred option. It is expected that this display will commence in May,” an RMS spokesperson said this week.
Information about the RMS feasibility study is available by visiting www.rms.nsw.gov.au/roadprojects and following the links to Hunter region.