Waterfall Way - Lining the Pacific Highway with Crumbled Mountain

Speedy motorist society requires lining the roads with stuff. Mountains disappear and the Pacific Highway gets 'upgraded' with gravel. Bellingen Shire Council has just consented to expand a quarry at Dorrigo. Dorrigo is 731 metres above sea level. All mining trucks will wind their way down steep Waterfall Way. It is also New South Wales' best and Australia's third most beautiful tourist drive. And it is steep and narrow!  "Approval was for 100 trucks and adding an extra 200 trucks each week - many of them with dog trailers... Another concern is any potential instability of the mountain side due to heavy rains that may turn into a landslide under the weight of substantially increased larger truck movements. "

This would mean increased truck movements up and down Waterfall Way and through residential streets. Bellingen is structured like a drive-through town, with logging and smelly cattle trucks already roaring through the village. Car fumes and vehicle noise already prevent one from lingering or shopping.

Traffic is not just noisy and deadly but also has an impact on (residential) property values. "It is estimated that traffic involving trucks can decrease property value 150 times faster than strictly car traffic"

Sources:
Bellingen Council backflips 6-1 on controversial quarry bid

The development application includes increasing truck activity to 400-movements a week, to and from the quarry along Waterfall Way.

EPA stops gravel extraction from Corindi 

Updates:
200 extra laden truck movements through Bellingen. Meeting to discuss heavy traffic impact on Waterfall Way to the Pacific Highway. Bellingen Courier 101113

Waterfall Way Rd. Over the past five years there have been 81 accidents: resulting in one fatality and 133 injuries... It’s believed that approximately 20,000 tonnes per month will be carted down the mountain by 600 loaded trucks...This means that a total of 120 trips per day, or if curtailed to a five day week, 140 truck and dog vehicle movements per day. Bellingen Courier 062014 


400 Bellinger River turtles have been found dead or dying, see especially 2.6.2015 update on petrol contamination from vehicles to build more Roads to Ruin,