To NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell, NSW Minister for Roads Duncan Gay, NSW Min for Environment & Heritage Robyn Parker, NSW Min for Community Services Pru Goward, NSW Min for Central Coast Chris Hartcher, NSW Min for Aboriginal Affairs Victor Dominello, NSW Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner, NSW Attorney General Greg Smith, Fed Heritage Min Tony Burke, Fed Heritage Dr David Collett, Fed Enviro-Alistair Cockburn, NSW Nature Conservation Council, NSW Great Lakes Advocate, NSW EDO NR, National Indigenous Times, Myall River Times, Myall Coast Nota, Koori Mail, Greens Sen Christine Milne, Greens Bob Brown, Fed Shadow Environment Minister
| From: | maureen brannan (mbrannan8@bigpond.com)  |
| Sent: | Monday, 18 April 2011 4:44:22 AM |
| To: | NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell (kuringgai@parliament.nsw.gov.au); NSW Minister for Roads Duncan Gay (duncan.gay@parliament.nsw.gov.au); NSW Min for Environment & Heritage Robyn Parker (robyn.parker@parliament.nsw.gov.au); NSW Min for Community Services Pru Goward (pru.goward@parliament.nsw.gov.au); NSW Min for Central Coast Chris Hartcher (chris.hartcher@parliament.nsw.gov.au); NSW Min for Aboriginal Affairs Victor Dominello (victor.dominello@parliament.nsw.gov.au); NSW Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner (andrew.stoner@parliament.nsw.gov.au); NSW Attorney General Greg Smith (greg.smith@parliament.nsw.gov.au); Fed Heritage Min Tony Burke (Tony.Burke.MP@aph.gov.au); Fed Heritage Dr David Collett (David.Collett@environment.gov.au); Fed Enviro-Alistair Cockburn (Alistair.Cockburn@environment.gov.au) |
| Cc: | NSW Nature Conservation Council (ncc@nccnsw.org.au); NSW Great Lakes Advocate (editor.gladvocate@ruralpress.com); NSW EDO NR (edonr@edo.org.au); National Indigenous Times (news@nit.com.au); Myall River Times (mail.mrtimes@ruralpress.com); Myall Coast Nota (editorial.mcnota@ruralpress.com); Koori Mail (editor@koorimail.com); Greens Sen Christine Milne (senator.milne@aph.gov.au); Greens Bob Brown (bob.brown@aph.gov.au); Fed Shadow Environment Minister (Greg.Hunt.MP@aph.gov.au) |
Dear Ministers,
I have received this letter from the NSW RTA. I have not responded directly to them; it is clearly not worth bothering to talk to the RTA as they are literally hell-bent on destroying The Sacred Alum Mountain and the town of Bulahdelah, but I feel it is necessary that you have a record of the blatant lies they have been promulgating, for future litigation purposes.
Maureen Brannan, 905 Wilsons Road CLOYNA Q 4605 ph: 04 277 10523
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Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales
101 Miller St North Sydney 2060
Locked Bag 928 North Sydney 2059 DX10516
ph: 13 22 13 www.rta.nsw.gov.au
Ref: M11/0389
4th March 2011
Dear Ms Brannan,
Thank you for your email to the Minister for Climate Change and the Environment, which was referred to the Minister for Roads, about blasting work on the Pacific Highway Bulahdelah upgrade project. The Minister has asked me to respond on his behalf. [No surprise that the minister will not respond ... in 40 years of activism, I have NEVER had a response from a minister, only ever an underling.]
The Roads and Traffic Authority has consulted extensively [The RTA's 'community consultation' consisted of one public meeting to announce their presence on 20th March 2000, then closed meetings with a focus group, a conflict of interest-weighted Value Management Workshop on the 29th & 30th August 2000 at which it was decided that Option E would be recommended to the then Minister for Roads, and another public meeting on the 12th December 2001 to announce that Option E was the official 'preferred option) with the local community and other stakeholders for the past 10 years to ensure that the Bulahdelah upgrade and its complex environmental and heritage issues have been fully considered and handled sensitively. (The COMMUNITY was not consulted at all. The RTA's own records show that there was no mention of blasting, or of the existing landslide, or the dangerous hill, during either of the RTA's two public meetings or any of the RTA's closed meetings.... and to state that you have handled the environmental and heritage issues 'sensitively' when you have utterly trashed both the environment and the Austraian & Aboriginal heritage, must be the ultimate in hypocrisy.)
As you may be aware, all required NSW and federal approvals have been obtained for the project. Clearing for the project started in December 2009 with major construction beginning in August 2010. (technically still in 'pre-construction'...) The recent controlled blasting of a major cutting north of Bombah Point Road is part of major earthwork activities, which started in November 2010. The blasting was identified as being required in the environmental impact statement for this project, which was displayed for public comment in 2004. (Proof of majority, in this case educated majority, opposition to this route is contained in the Submissions Report; 550 responses opposed to Option E, giving a multitude of erudite and valid reasons, and half a dozen pro-Option E responses, which were actually just pro any bypass, not specifically Option E! All these public comments and facts presented by the NSW Forestry dept. were blatantly IGNORED and dismissed.) It is needed to loosen rock that is otherwise not able to be excavated with large mechanical equipment. (Thank you Michael, but we do know WHY it is necessary to blast through a mountain to build a road ...)
Information on the proposed controlled blasting work has more recently been made available to the public on a number of occasions including:
Ø Presentations to the project’s community interest group on 27 October 2010. This information was also uploaded to the project website and displayed at the local Rural Transaction Centre for wider public viewing. [How does this ensure that the whole community is notified of blasting dates and times?]
Ø Advertisements in local media outlets in both 2010 and 2011. (?)
Ø Written notifications to local residents, interest group members, project stakeholders and local businesses. [Residents have NOT received written notifications of blasting dates and times - there are many residents who are prepared to write affidavits so stating.]
Ø Door-knocking of directly affected local residents prior to the blasts. [None of this happened! With the initial blast, they just put up one little A4 notice - in pale print - stuck in amongst a hodge-podge of 'for sale'/'lost and found' etc signs at a shop entryway - no door knocking. Subsequent 'notification' consisted of dumping a few leaflets at the post office and in a couple of shops. Residents who have been directly affected by the blasts are prepared to write affidavits testifying to the fact that they were NOT notified at all.]
Monitoring results of the initial controlled blast carried out in January 2011 show that the vibration limits and air blast pressures were well within project goals and Australian Standard limits. [What exactly are the Australian standards for blasting inherently unstable mountains? The INITIAL blast on 24.1.11 was stated in the shopfront sign to take place between 12.15 and 12.45 pm. It took place just before 3.00 pm. The SECOND blast on 7.2.11 was bigger, shaking buildings and 'terrifying some domestic pets' at a distance of over 500 metres. The THIRD blast on 14.2.11 was MASSIVE and badly injured at least one resident sitting at a desk in their own home over half a kilometre away. The FOURTH blast on 21.2.11 is reported to have made the public school shake. The sign on the shopfront stated that it would take place between 12.15 pm and 12.45 pm - It took place at 1.49 pm. The FIFTH blast was initially due on 1.3.11. It was cancelled but the community was not notified of this. It may have been cancelled due to the presence of the army in town who would have witnesses some of its effects - just wet ground would not have stopped it as it did not cause the third blast to be cancelled. The FIFTH blast on 8.3.11 was witnessed reverberating along the mid-slopes of the mountain. The mountain is unstable and particularly prone to landslides and rockfall: ref. the then DLWC, Henderson, 2000. The SIXTH blast on 29.3.11 was equally massive and was over an hour past the scheduled time.] The RTA will continue to consult with and advise the local community about future blasting work required for the project. [Again, THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN NEITHER CONSULTED NOR ADVISED OF ANY BLASTING TO DATE. Residents are prepared to write affidavits so stating.]
I note that you also wrote to the Minister for Transport and directly to the Minister for Roads on this issue. It would be appreciated if this letter could be accepted as a reply to those approaches. (Your reply is not acceptable in any way whatsoever. YOUR REPLY IS RIDDLED WITH LIES.)
Again, thank you for writing to the Minister for Climate Change and the Environment with your views. (Not 'VIEWS', FACTS, as Adele Wade - who is an authority on all aspects of this RTA scheme and will undoubtedly make an expert witness - has pointed out to you over and over and over again…) For more information please contact the RTA action officer, Mr Bob Handley, Major Projects Implementation Manager, Hunter, on (02) 4924 0289 (Don't be ridiculous - as if your manager will even listen to people's concerns - your actions have demonstrated that the RTA will NEVER stop destroying the mountain and harming the residents of the town unless you are forced to either by the federal government finally processing its heritage listing or by the UN Human Rights Commissioner, Navi Pillay, when she comes out to Australia next month and sees the enormous destruction your government has caused at Bulahdelah to the unique natural environment and to Aboriginal and Australian cultural heritage and hears the story of the horrendous abuse of Worimi Dates.)
Your sincerely
Michael Bushby
Chief Executive
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