Princes Highway upgrade Berry to Bomaderry Addendum Review of Enviornmental Factors

825 Pages·2017·62.21 MB·English

Princes Highway upgrade between
Berry and Bomaderry
Addendum Review of Environmental
Factors
April 2017
BLANK PAGE
Roads and Maritime Services
Princes Highway upgrade between
Berry and Bomaderry
Addendum Review of Environmental
Factors
April 2017

Prepared by Arcadis Australia Pacific Pty Ltd (Arcadis) and Roads and Maritime Services
ABN: 76 104 485 289

RMS/Pub. 17.256
ISBN 978-1-925659-13-9

Copyright: The concepts and information contained in this document are the property of NSW
Roads and Maritime Services. Use or copying of this document in whole or in part without the
written permission of NSW Roads and Maritime Services constitutes an infringement of copyright.

Executive summary
Background
Roads and Maritime Services (Roads and Maritime) proposes to upgrade 10.3 kilometres of the
Princes Highway between Mullers Lane (south of Berry) and Cambewarra Road, Bomaderry (the
Project) in New South Wales (NSW) The Project will provide a four-lane divided highway (two
lanes in each direction) with median separation.
The project is one of a series of upgrades to sections of the Princes Highway which aims to
provide a four-lane divided highway between Waterfall and Jervis Bay Road, Falls Creek. This
would improve road safety and traffic efficiency, including freight, on the NSW South Coast.
A review of environmental factors (REF) was prepared for the Berry to Bomaderry upgrade project
in November 2013 based on the concept design (referred to in this addendum REF as the project
REF). The project REF was placed on public display between 1 and 29 November 2013 for
community and stakeholder comment. A submissions report, dated March 2014 was prepared to
respond to issues raised.
The project has now been approved, and Roads and Maritime has engaged Arcadis Australia
Pacific Pty Limited (Arcadis) to complete the final design (detailed design) for the project. During
the finalisation of the final design, an addendum REF has been prepared to assess the likely
impacts of the proposed changes on the environment, and to outline any additional protective
measures to be implemented.
The proposed changes
The proposed changes include:

 moving the road between Turners Lane and Morschels/Devitts lanes next to the existing
Princes Highway. The existing Princes Highway would become a local road at this location.
This will improve safety and traffic efficiency for users of the Princes Highway and construction
workers by reducing the amount of travel for motorists through the construction zone;
 changing the layout of the Strongs Road and Jaspers Brush Road interchange by removing the
proposed U-turn bays and replacing these with two roundabouts. This will improve road safety
and traffic efficiency in the area;
 changing the proposed Pestells Lane and Meroo Road overpass by removing the roundabouts
along Pestells Lane and Meroo Road, and changing the layout. This will improve road safety
and traffic efficiency in the area;
 changes to the design of bridges and major flood and drainage structures to minimise and
better manage the expected flooding impacts of the proposal. It will also minimise the proposal
footprint within and next to creeks;
 establishment of a permanent road maintenance facility adjacent to the southbound highway
lanes at the Pestells Lane and Meroo Road interchange;
 changes to 10 property accesses to improve safety for residents as they enter and exit their
properties;
 changes to construction ancillary site facilities, including 10 new locations to minimise impacts
to private properties;
 changes to rock excavation techniques during construction.

Princes Highway upgrade between Berry and Bomaderry i
Addendum Review of Environmental Factors
Need for the proposed changes
Section two of the project REF addresses the strategic need for the project and its objectives. The
proposed changes assessed in this addendum REF are consistent with the strategic need of the
project.

The proposed changes are required to improve road safety and traffic efficiency, including for
freight, on the NSW South Coast.
Proposal objectives and development criteria for the addendum REF
Section 2.3 of the project REF identifies the project objectives and development criteria that apply
to the proposed modifications. These objectives and criteria also apply to the proposed
modifications. The proposed modifications that are the subject of this addendum REF have the
following additional objectives:

 improve access to land owners entering and exiting properties;
 changes to the required construction ancillary site facilities;
 improvements to road maintenance during operation.
Options considered
Other options to the proposed changes as described in this addendum REF were considered
during final design and assessed against the objectives listed in Section 2.3. The following options
were considered:

 keeping the alignment of the approved concept design for the Berry to Bomaderry upgrade
(Option 1);
 upgrade of the Princes Highway between Berry and Bomaderry in accordance with the
changes identified as part of the final design (Option 2).

Option two is the preferred option for upgrading the Princes Highway between Berry and
Bomaderry. The proposed changes would allow the project to more effectively meet the proposal
criteria outlined in the project REF, and would provide improved road safety and traffic efficiency
on the NSW South Coast.
Statutory and planning framework
Clause 94 of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Infrastructure) 2007 (ISEPP) permits
development on any land for the purpose of a road or road infrastructure facilities to be carried out
by, or on behalf of, a public authority without consent.

As the Princes Highway upgrade between Berry and Bomaderry is for the upgrade of a road and
associated infrastructure facilities, and is to be carried out on behalf of Roads and Maritime, it can
be assessed under Part 5 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act).
For the purposes of these works, Roads and Maritime is the proponent and the determining
authority.

This addendum review of environmental factors fulfils the requirements of Section 111 of the EP&A
Act and has been prepared in accordance with clause 228 of the Environmental Planning and
Assessment Regulation 2000. It has also considered the Threatened Species Conservation Act
1995 (TSC Act), the Fisheries Management Act 1994 (FM Act), and the Commonwealth
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
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Addendum Review of Environmental Factors
Community and stakeholder consultation
Roads and Maritime has been consulting with the community and stakeholders since 2006 about
this project. It considers meaningful and robust community engagement to be an essential part of
the project. As such, community and stakeholder consultation has been carried out throughout the
life of the project including during final design with the local community, Aboriginal community,
local government, State government agencies and utility providers.

Community and stakeholder engagement will be ongoing throughout the construction phase of the
project.
Environmental impacts
Noise and vibration
 Noise management levels would be exceeded for the following number of sensitive receivers:
 27 properties during standard construction hours (7am to 6pm weekdays, 8am to 1pm
Saturdays);
 24 properties during the evening construction period (6pm to 10pm);
 52 properties during the night time period (10pm to 7am);
 14 of the 52 receivers affected by night-time construction noise, may experience sleep
disturbance.

Several properties have been identified as needing noise mitigation treatments to address these
exceedances. Details of these mitigation measures are detailed in section 6.2.5.
Biodiversity
 as part of final design, the total amount of vegetation to be cleared would be reduced by 2.6
hectares from when the concept design was proposed;
 clearance of vegetation classified as endangered ecological communities would be reduced by
0.23 hectares. Endangered ecological communities that would require clearance as a result of
the project include:
- 0.04 hectares of Freshwater Wetlands on Coastal Floodplains of the NSW North Coast,
Sydney Basin and South East Corner Bioregions (FWCF);
- 0.43 hectares of River-Flat Eucalypt Forest on Coastal Floodplains of the NSW North
Coast, Sydney Basin and South East Corner Bioregions (RFEFCF);
- 0.25 hectares of Illawarra Lowlands Grassy Woodland in the Sydney Basin Bioregion
(ILGW).
 it is expected that 38 hollow bearing trees containing 130 hollows would be removed as part of
the project;
 the project REF identified a roost of about 15 microbats at Flying Fox Creek and considered it
to be of high value. Targeted microbat surveys carried out during the final design have
identified additional roost sites at a culvert at Tandingulla Creek as well as a maternity roost
with between 30-60 Southern Myotis in the stock underpass south of Strongs Road;
 measures would be implemented to minimise impacts to fauna species including the installation
of additional nest boxes and the creation of species-specific permanent structures that would
supplement the loss of microbat habitat in culverts and bridges. The permanent roost habitat
which would be installed in selected culverts and bridges along the alignment would target
Southern Myotis specifically.

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Addendum Review of Environmental Factors
Flooding
The establishment of flood mitigation structures, diversion channels and refinement of drain
designs have resulted in a reduction of flood impacts on pasture land when compared with the
project REF. Changes to impacts on pasture land during 100 year Average Recurrence Interval
(ARI) flood events as a result of the final design are predicted to occur at the following locations:

 lot 4 DP249085 (upstream Pestells Lane interchange). Flood water levels are predicted to
increase by up to 670 mm. This property is owned by Roads and Maritime hence the adverse
flood impacts are considered acceptable;
 lot 27 DP131007 (downstream Abernethys Creek bridge). Flood water levels are predicted to
increase by up to 350 mm at the southern end of this property. This impact is triggered by the
proposed channel that would divert flood water from Tullian Creek towards Abernethys Creek.
A levee bank located to the east of the highway and to the north of Abernethys Creek about
290 m long is proposed to be built to protect the dwelling located at this property from a 100
year ARI flood;
 lot 5 DP582148 and Lot 93 DP130760 (next to channel that would divert flood water from
Tullian Creek towards Abernethys Creek). A narrow strip of pasture land running next to the
proposed channel would have flood water level increases by up to 500 mm. Flood impacts are
confined to this narrow strip of land and are therefore considered minor in nature;
 lot 2 DP882059 (upstream of the Abernethys Lane). Two areas of agricultural land (480 m2 in
total) are predicted to have a 100 year ARI water level increase of greater than 250 mm. The
area of impacts greater than 250 mm extends within the property by up to 15m. Due to the
localised nature of these impacts, this impact is not considered to be adverse.
Aboriginal heritage
As a result of the proposed changes there would be additional impacts to five previously identified
Aboriginal heritage sites (G2B A48, G2B A50, G2B A53, G2B A59 and G2B A61). Staged salvage
excavation would be undertaken at four sites (G2B A48, G2B A50, G2B A59 and G2B A61) to
mitigate the potential impacts of the proposed works on these Aboriginal sites. Impacts at one site
(G2B A53) are minor and localised. It is assessed that the results of the previous salvage program
have already retrieved a representative sample of the assemblage at this site and no further
salvage excavation is required.

An AHIP variation would be required for additional impacts to the five abovementioned sites and to
cover all areas of works outside of the current AHIP boundary. No salvage excavation would be
carried out until the AHIP variation has been approved.

The proposed changes would not impact any newly identified Aboriginal heritage sites, and would
not alter the potential impacts to Aboriginal cultural heritage as identified in the project REF.
Non-Aboriginal heritage
As a result of the proposed changes, a change in impacts to 17 previously identified non-Aboriginal
heritage items near the project would occur during construction of the project. The changes in
impacts to affected items are detailed in section 6.7.3.

Mitigation measures including additional recording and exclusion fencing would be implemented to
minimise any impacts to non-Aboriginal heritage items during construction.

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Addendum Review of Environmental Factors
Property and land use
The final design of the project has resulted in changes to the amount of property acquisition and
the properties affected by acquisition. In summary:

 the proposed changes would require an additional 3.31 hectares of acquisition compared to
what was identified as being required in the project REF;
 eight properties that were not previously subject to acquisition would require acquisition. This is
referred to in section 6.8.2;
 eighteen properties identified as requiring some acquisition in the project REF would be subject
to a reduction in the amount of acquisition required;
 thirty-six properties identified as requiring some acquisition in the project REF would be subject
to an increase in the amount of acquisition required;
 eleven properties identified as requiring some acquisition in the project REF would no longer be
subject to acquisition.
Other impacts
Impacts to the following environmental aspects are expected to remain consistent with what was
presented in the project REF:

 traffic and transport;
 surface water and groundwater;
 landscape character and visual amenity;
 geology and soils;
 air quality;
 hazard and risk;
 waste and resource management;
 greenhouse gas and climate change;
 cumulative impacts.
Justification and conclusion
The proposed modifications are consistent with the Project objectives as stated in section 2.3 of
the project REF and section 2.2 of this addendum REF. In particular, the proposed design changes
meet the objectives of improving potential beneficial environmental effects and managing potential
adverse environmental impacts, as well as optimising the benefits and minimising adverse impacts
on the local social environment.

This addendum REF has examined and taken into account to the fullest extent possible all matters
affecting or likely to affect the environment by reason of the proposed activity.

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