Bathurst Regional Council is developing a new subdivision, Windradyne 1100, with 205 home sites, on the east of Windradyne adjacent to the Mitchell Highway (Orange Road). But rather than use the Mitchell Highway for access, the construction traffic is being routed via our suburban streets. We're talking about heavy earthmoving machinery, B-doubles, concrete trucks.
Apart from the traffic (if there's a car parked by the kerb, you have to wait behind it for a B-double to get past) there is the noise, which is very objectionable if you live on one of the roads being used and annoying even if you don't, and there is the wear on our roads. See the photos dotted around this site for some examples.
As the new subdivision is adjacent to the Orange Road, the obvious thing to do is provide access from there. Bathurst Regional Council have stated that they were in favour of this, but the Mitchell Highway comes under Transport for NSW and they deemed that "no new access was required, as the existing road infrastructure could accommodate the increased traffic load". This is patently untrue, just look at the photos of our wrecked roads!
Transport for NSW (TfNSW) advised that "The road alignment and topography of the Mitchell Highway adjoining Windradyne present challenges to providing additional access from the highway." Some work would obviously be needed, but they seem to have put this in the "too hard" basket.
It's obviously easier for them to disadvantage a whole suburb than to get this work done. I, and many other Windradyne residents I have spoken to, are incensed that our opinions can be so easily disregarded.
I have written to many levels of government to get some action on this, and the purpose of this website is to encourage other residents to make their views know to Government to spur them into action. The "What can you do?" page lists how you can do this. Thanks for your help!
