Access situation

[JDNSW]

I think I have mentioned here previously that I have been having problems since the fire two years ago with National Parks failing to do anything about the creek crossing near my boundary. I have been writing to the relevant Minister, copying to my local state member (Barwon) and the member in the adjoining electorate (Dubbo) (the creek is an electoral boundary!). I am still awaiting a reply to a letter sent to the minister in February last year (mind you, there have been about three ministers since then!). Since I have had no reply to the letter I wrote two months ago either, I have been ringing the minister's office every Monday and Friday for the last couple of weeks, and also asking the two MLAs to do the same.

Well, it seems the squeaky wheel is getting oiled! Yesterday I had a phone call from the Minister's office promising a start on work by the 26th and finish by 5/6, weather permitting. Ten minutes later, the Dubbo member's office called to tell me the same thing, and when I got home from town today there was a message from the member for Barwon's office on the answering machine.

John

[sschmez]

That won't be half as much fun for you anymore:eek:

well done on the squeaky wheel

Stevo

[Sprint]

did they say whats going to be done about the creek crossing?

[JDNSW]

did they say whats going to be done about the creek crossing?

No, they said that there would be a letter posted on Monday with details. I will be surprised if they actually say what they are planning to do. I did talk to there consulting engineer about two years ago when they were surveying the crossing to draw up plans, and they indicated that it would be similar to one they had done on another crossing about ten kilometres further from my place.

This involved new approaches and large quantities of stone, some anchored with wire netting, plus pegged sandbags to slow water running down the gutters. To do this on the crossing we are talking about would involve quite a lot of earthworks, and the amount of work necessary has greatly increased because of the erosion in the last two years - the crossing now has gutters down it up to nearly a metre deep, which have eroded headward ten metres past the top of the slope. To use it at present you have to straddle these - don't even try it in the wet.

John

[Bigbjorn]

JD, do you have access via a public gazetted road? Or are you in one of those funny NSW situations with access through another property? I recall that there were a number of places in the Gulgong and Hill End areas like this with no access via a road or dedicated easement. Their access was through properties between them and the nearest road, and subject to the good graces of their neighbours. I seem to remember that those affected were agitating for roads or easements to be gazetted, or they be given relief from rates and land tax. Apparently the affected properties could not be sold for some reason and considered to have no commercial value. The owners were still liable for rates and land tax as the properties had a formal valuation for these purposes.

[87County]

well, that is hopefully (fingers crossed I guess) good news

persistence can pay off - well done!

[JDNSW]

JD, do you have access via a public gazetted road? Or are you in one of those funny NSW situations with access through another property? I recall that there were a number of places in the Gulgong and Hill End areas like this with no access via a road or dedicated easement. Their access was through properties between them and the nearest road, and subject to the good graces of their neighbours. I seem to remember that those affected were agitating for roads or easements to be gazetted, or they be given relief from rates and land tax. Apparently the affected properties could not be sold for some reason and considered to have no commercial value. The owners were still liable for rates and land tax as the properties had a formal valuation for these purposes.

Pretty much like that except for the forest road, the legal situation for which is a bit unclear, although it is probably a public road, but not maintained by anyone.

John

[Shonky]

Any pics of the offending area John? :D

[JDNSW]

Here is one.
Note the golf umbrella standing in one of the erosion gutters. This was taken in March, they are deeper now after the rain over Easter.

John

[hook]

Funny how you have to go through 4 MP's and they all get back to you on the one day???:mad:

This tells me there are 4 department doing the one job,
get rid of three of them and we could save some Taxpayers money:twisted:

[JDNSW]

Funny how you have to go through 4 MP's and they all get back to you on the one day???:mad:

This tells me there are 4 department doing the one job,
get rid of three of them and we could save some Taxpayers money:twisted:

No, one department - just that it takes multiple MPs pushing the same complaint before anything happens. It is worth remembering that if you are having a problem with a government department, they will respond much more rapidly and satisfactorily to a MP than to you. In this case I think the effective pressure was the Member for Dubbo, who is a non-aligned independent, and as such does not have to worry about treading on any toes - and has to be seen to be a good MP by her constituents, unlike the party hacks - my own representative is in one of the safest seats in the state; all he has to worry about is preselection!

John

[Shonky]

Gawd they are some serious ruts! :o

You are dead right about getting your MPs on the case John. That is what we elect them for - to represent our interests. ;) Government departments are generally only interested in keeping their respective ministers happy. Your concerns are not a priority, until your Minister heckles their minister and they are forced to do something to save the boss from embarrassment.

:eek:

[JDNSW]

I should point out that this crossing is not just my concern. Although I am the only landholder who uses it for access, it is on one of the key access routes in the National Park, and in fact the reason it is in such poor condition at present is that it had very heavy firefighting traffic in the fire two years ago, which destroyed the hump that stopped water running down the slope.

At a public meeting eighteen months ago as a followup to the fire, National Parks, under pressure from RFS, agreed that the perimeter road, which includes this crossing, must be maintained in a condition that will allow use by all categories of tanker. At present, you might manage it with the very lightest category of tanker in the dry. I would not even attempt it in anything without tracks after five millimetres of rain. Worth noting that the immediate area was not burnt in the fire, and has fifty years of fuel, slightly reduced in patches by half hearted attempts at fuel reduction every fifteen years or so. I know that this is not the only part of the road network that is in shocking condition, including some other parts of the key firefighting access, although a few of these have been repaired and even upgraded.

John

[abaddonxi]

Them's deep ruts, John.

Did you get the golf sticks out with the umbrella?

:D

Simon

[JDNSW]

Well, yesterday they actually started work on it. The start of work was an archaeological survey to collect all the artifacts in the area - these comprised numerous stone chips from thousands of years of stone working, most of which were brought to the surface when a dozer was put through the crossing during the fire! I went down to see what they were doing - and actually got stuck. I got halfway up the slope, when I realised that at the top they had liffle pegs and flags all over the ground and had to stop. Then I had to back down, and put a back wheel in the rut, grounding the chassis and getting cross axled.

I had to get winched out by the district manager for national parks - in a Rodeo.

This morning I went down to see what was happening again, and they had a bobcat there, but were still working on the archaeology. Later I heard the bobcat going, but I was busy with my concreting. I will see them going into town tomorrow - I hope I can get through; I'll use another crossing further downstream - this is very rough in the creek bottom, but should be passable in the 110.

John