The RTA's Current Lies re. Distance Between the Proposed Road etc. and the Mountain's Cliffs.

Extract from the Bulahdelah Upgrading the Pacific Highway Environmental Impact Statement (EIS): Geotechnical Characteristics of the Proposed Route Technical Paper 11 4.3 Colluvium Area Cut 4 (bold and coloured typeface added for emphasis)
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Approximately 400 metres uphill and to the east of the proposed cutting, ground slopes increase to approximately 20 degrees and 30 degrees *gradually rising to subvertical [sic] cliffs some 500 metres to the east of the proposed cutting.

*[A mountain-slope increase from around 20 (or even 30) degrees to sub-vertical over a distance of about 100 metres is not gradual. (The cliffs which the RTA described in this section of the EIS as sub-vertical are 40 metres high and tilt towards the RTA’s intended roadway, schools and residences).]

Some boulder sized material (typically 0.5–5 metres in size) was previously released from the cliff faces and rolled down the hill. Scattered boulders located over the natural slope near the toe of the cliffs extending to the footprint of the proposed cutting, though the majority are located within approximately 50 metres of the toe of the cliff. A typical boulder on the slope is shown in Figure 4.4.

The proposed cutting is underlain by *colluvium extending to depths of about 25 metres below existing ground surface at the borehole locations.

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*The Alum Mountain is prone to mass movement (landslides) and rockfall. (Ref. Landscapes of the Dungog 1:100 000 Sheet – Department of Land and Water Conservation, Sydney L.E. Henderson, 2000.) The ‘colluvium’ referred to by the RTA is the ‘silty-clay-sand-gravel material’ of a previous landslide.

Note: in the above, the EIS states that the Alum Mountain’s cliffs are ‘some 500 metres to the east of the proposed cutting’ (excavation in which the roadway would be located) and that there are ‘scattered boulders’ which have ‘rolled’ down the mountain and are in the ‘footprint of the proposed cutting’ (the area of the proposed roadway).

At the RTA’s ‘community interest group’ meeting no. 2 (Wednesday, 25th June, 2008) under the supervision/in the presence of the following RTA employees:

· Mark Eastwood – RTA Senior Development Manager (who was Project Manager for the Bulahdelah section of the Pacific Highway Upgrade at the commencement of the project in the year 2000);
· Dick Whibley – RTA Senior Project Manager;
· Mike Willing – RTA Senior Project Manager;
· Peter Carson – RTA Project Engineer;
· Janice Smith – RTA Infrastructure Communications Manager Pacific Highway; and
· Teneale Boyle – RTA Communications Officer

Colin Cresdee – RTA ‘Geotechnical Scientist’ displayed the following RTA diagram as part of a Power Point presentation:-

Note: The words at the foot of the above diagram are: distance from new road.

In the RTA’s ‘Slope profile above cut 4’ diagram the proposed new six-lanes-plus-width road is portrayed as being of nil width and the top of the mountain’s cliffs as being at a distance of over 700 metres from same:-

· The difference in distance between the mountain’s cliffs and the proposed roadway as stated in the EIS (‘some 500 metres’) and as presented by the RTA and RTA employee Colin Cresdee at ‘community interest group’ meeting no. 2 (over 700 metres) is almost a quarter of a kilometre.

Scott Street is the Bulahdelah residential street which is closest to the proposed new road in the Alum Mountain Park area (and was omitted from the majority of maps throughout the EIS).

In the ‘Slope profile above cut 4’ diagram, the RTA claims that Scott Street is 175 metres west of the (nil width) proposed new road and over 875 metres from the mountain’s cliffs. In the EIS, the RTA states that Bulahdelah Central School, which is some 160 metres west of Scott Street, is 180 metres from the proposal:-

· The RTA and RTA employee Colin Cresdee have grossly exaggerated the distance between Scott Street – and therefore also Bulahdelah Central School – and the sub-vertical cliffs of a mountain which is ‘prone to mass movement (landslides) and rockfall’.

Note: You might happen to notice that the illustration includes the statement: Bounders are found all down the profile. The only bounders on the mountain at the moment are RTA navvies – all of whom are knowingly involved in activities intended to lead to construction of a deadly section of highway and some of whom have been taunting Bulahdelah residents and visitors to the area.

This post initially published: 15th August, 2008.