Sapphire to Woolgoolga residents take Pacific Highway concerns to RMS
Dozens of people living near the newly-upgraded Pacific Highway north of Coffs Harbour have taken frustration about traffic noise to the Roads and Maritime Service.
The Sapphire to Woolgoolga stretch of the Pacific Highway upgrade fully opened to traffic last month.
Residents around the highway are asking the RMS to clearly explain what can be done to address the problem.
It may well be that we have to then go to secondary considerations, where our houses will need to have double glazing put into them, and this is not an outcome that we want.
More than 50 people attended the first of three residents meetings, about a new RMS noise monitoring program last night, Tuesday September 16, 2014.
The RMS will monitor noise levels around the highway and see if it is meets predictions.
It is seeking feedback about where noise monitors should go.
Resident Jock Palmer said people want to know what can be done, if the noise problem is proved.
"The concern I have, and many other people here at the meeting, is if those noise levels do exceed the specified criteria, what action the RMS will take to remedy the noise that is affecting these people," he said.
Another resident from west of the highway, Peter Cameron, said steps could be taken now.
"The most obvious solution to the problem for our particular neighbourhood would be the installation of a noise wall on the western side, which would go some way to remedy the situation," he said.
"But it may well be that we have to then go to secondary considerations, where our houses will need to have double glazing put into them.
"And this is not an outcome that we want."
The RMS Pacific Highway Manager, Bob Higgins, said he is hoping residents will help identify noise 'hotspots'.
Mr Higgins said he understands some people are saying they are so badly affected by noise they are considering leaving coastal suburbs like Moonee Beach.
"Our first step here is what we're doing over the next three nights to understand where these hotspots are," he said.
"Then to actually do this noise monitoring coming up in October and then when we get the results we can then present that back to the community.
"The important thing is to hear the residents concerns.
"Not only close to the new highway but a distance away."
Mr Higgins said feedback from residents is critical, to ensure the monitoring program is effective.
"We have specific locations we have to do it at," he said.
"But we're also doing additional monitoring as well.
"So by having these workshops with residents we can sit down and work out exactly where."