The proposed Waste Transfer Station development in Bargo has been revived in a modified form and is currently with Wollondilly Shire Council for approval.  Council will accept written submissions from the public until October 20^th.

AS A MATTER OF URGENCY

The Bargo Progress Association is asking concerned residents to put in written submissions by Monday 22^nd October. Your submission can be short and does not need to contain more than a statement that you are opposed to the development because of the traffic impacts. It must be in your own words and maybe published, so keep it clean.

Some details can be found at the following link to Wollondilly Shire Council’s website

http://www.wollondilly.nsw.gov.au/index.php?option=com_jentlacontent&view=enhanced&id=499069

This website includes the following information:-

Proposed Nominated Integrated Development – Bargo

Wollondilly Council File no. 010.2012.00000336.001

Property: Lot 252 DP 257510 – 25 Government Road, Bargo plus unformed Crown Road between Government Road and Great Southern Road, and North Bargo Railway Overbridge (opposite Wellers Road intersection)

For the Purpose of: Erection & Operation of Waste/Resource Transfer Station, Resource Recovery Facility, Truck Depot, Ancillary Facilities, Off-Site Road Works, Transfer of Crown Road to Council.

LOCATION

This privately owned facility will be located on private land adjoining the current Bargo Waste Management Centre which is owned by Council. It is a much bigger development in terms of number of trucks that will be coming and going.

The previous proposal had truck access by Ironbark and Government Roads, however the revised development shows plans to build a new access road through farmland fronting Great Southern Road. This access road will be entered from just near the intersection of Great Southern Road and Wellers Road (the short bit  of road that includes the North Bargo Railway Overbridge).

COMMENT

You can inspect the proposal at Council but it is quite extensive and many hours should be allowed if you want to read it.

One member of the Bargo Progress Association, who is a truck driver in the waste Management industry, has reported his findings after examining the Development Application in Councils office. He reported planned seven day a week operation, from early morning up until midnight. Also he is of the opinion that the stated number of truck movements is grossly understated in order to get approval.

Bargo.info concerns are:-

• Large no. of trucks using Great Southern Road up until midnight and in particular during school hours when passing Bargo Public School and the railway station.

This road is a suburban road with houses and business along its length. It has pedestrians constantly crossing it, coming from the railway station overpass and from parking on the opposite sides of the School, Pub, Post Office and many other businesses along its length. I don’t believe that the truck drivers will take the care needed to avoid accidents because they will be under time pressure, and as a result lives will be in increased danger along Great Southern Road.

Remembrance Drive is of less concern because it is a higher class of road with off street parking outside businesses and a pedestrian crossing at the railway station.

I cannot see reasons why trucks will use Remembrance Drive instead of Great Southern Road.  Policing of these roads will be spasmodic and that will not be an effective deterrent.

Perhaps a series of new roundabouts, traffic lights and pedestrian crossings will be required to make Great Southern Road safer.

• Increased truck usage of the intersection between Remembrance Drive and Wellers Road. This is main intersection affected by the Waste Transfer station. Council has recently improved this intersection but it is far from being a safe intersection. There are visibility problems for vehicles exiting from the main part of Wellers Road, and there are turning problems for large vehicles.  I have experienced buses and trucks blocking Remembrance Drive while they wait for traffic to exit the bridge lane of Wellers Road. This is because large vehicles cannot turn onto the bridge without crossing into the wrong lane. I do not think further improvements will be made to this intersection because of the landscape constraints and because I think the bridge has some heritage protection. The likely result of substantially more trucks is increasingly frustrated motorists and risky driving and so increased accidents at this intersection.
• Council should try to independently assess the no. of truck movements, particularly if the facility is expanded in the future. The developer could have easily underestimated the no. of truck movements.
• Increased road maintenance and improvement costs for Council – particularly the short part of Wellers Road and many parts of Great Southern Road.
• Our submission asked that Council reject the proposed Development Application. A far better location would be at Maldon.

WHAT CAN YOU DO ?

URGENTLY – put in a submission.

Attend Bargo Progress Association meetings which are held in the hall at the Bargo Baptist Church in Silica road. Next meeting is Wednesday 10^th October at 7pm and will be devoted to the Waste Transfer Station. Then after that there is the Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 31^st October at 7pm.

Contact

John Knyvett: 46841444

View Proposed Waste Transfer Station in a larger map

Please feel free to make a comment, which will be passed on to the Bargo Progress Association.