By Jackson Russell
RESIDENTS of Dry Creek Road in Broadford have raised their concerns with a recent increase in truck traffic coming down the southern end of the road.
B-Double trucks loaded with materials removed from the quarry have allegedly been frequently travelling north towards Broadford despite planning permit restrictions stating trucks are not permitted to travel up Dry Creek Road.
Karen and Bruce Rae told the North Central Review they avoid the road as much as possible because “it’s just too risky”.
“When you’re coming out of our driveway, there’s actually a hill, so when trucks are at the hill, it’s just frightening,” Mrs Rae said.
The original planning permit for Hanson Construction Materials’ Broadford quarry placed conditions on transportation of materials out of the quarry.
Condition 10(a) stated that transportation could “only occur in a south-westerly direction from the proposed internal access road”.
Other conditions restricted the amount and frequency of transportation.
The permit conditions were contested at Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) hearing in February 2013 due to increased production at the quarry, with each contested condition removed other than 10(a).
Presiding VCAT member Philip Martin said at the time he saw fatal problems with “the relatively narrow and unprotected culvert crossing on the northern section of Dry Creek Road being an accident waiting to happen”.
Since then, the northern section of the road where the Raes live has been devoid of trucks from the quarry but the couple said in recent weeks, the volume of trucks has risen to pre-VCAT hearing levels.
Hanson Construction Materials development manager Daniel Fyfe said the company has been made aware of the concerns after being contacted by neighbouring residents.
“While we have direct control over Hanson Construction Materials drivers, we can only inform third-party customers to not use Dry Creek Road to the north,” he said.
“If we get information about specific trucks, we can take action; and we advise non-Hanson trucks not to turn right and follow approved routes.
“We’re certainly aware of obligations, we express and share the concerns of our neighbours and we’re working with council officers to see what other measures can be taken.”