EIS 453 ABOI9 126 Princes Highway, Minnamurra River to Bombo, Kiama environmental impact statement, July 1986 /2 c w ABOI 9126 PRINCEb HIGHWAY r u I [II;];7A ;II'All4; (.:jij I :j• ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT DEPARTMENT OF MAIN ROADS N.S.W. I I I I PRINCES HIGHWAY ''Zil j~~;;;:jl ~w! I ,Dill I I I I I I I I I I ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT I STATEMENT I I JULY 1986 I DEPARTMENT OF MAIN ROADS N.S.W. I I I I I I I DEPARTMENT OF MAIN ROADS, NEW SOU1I-I WALES S.H. 1 - PRINCES HIGHWAY 1 PROPOSED RECONSI RIJCT ION MINNAMURRA RIVER 10 BOMBO K I AMA I ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT SIATEMENI I CLAUSE 59 CERTIFICATION This is to certify that the subject Environmental Impact Statement has I been prepared in accordance with Ctauses 57 and 58 of the Envlronrnent3i I Planning and Assessment Regulation. 1980. I / 1 sf I Warren 3. Atkinson Principal-in-Charge Environmental. Studies I Dames & Moore I I I I June 1986 I I I ILUTIvff-liWa]tiEiI I Paqe No.. I SUMMARY I 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1 2.0 BACKGROUND TO PROPOSAL 3 I 2.1 EXISTING ROAD SYSTEM 3 2.2 NEED TO UPGRADE EXISTING ROAD SYSIEM I 2.3 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES 11 3.0 LOCAL ENVIRONMENT 13 I 3.1 STUDY AREA 13 3.2 CLIMATE 13 3.3 LANDFORM, GEOLOGY AND SOILS 14 I 3.4 LAND USE 18 3.5 HYDROLOGY AND DRAINAGE 26 3.6 BIOLOGY 26 3.7 ARCHAEOLOGY 29 I 3.8 CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL ASPECTS 30 3.9 LANDSCAPE AND SCENIC QUALITY 35 I 3.10 TOURISM AND RECREATION 36 I 4.0 EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVES 38 4.1 INTRODUCTION 38 4.2 NO PROJECT OPTION 39 4.3 PRINCES HIGHWAY OPtIONS 41 I 4.4 THE SWAMP ROAD OPTIONS 47 4.5 COMPARISON OF ALIERNATIVES 54 I 4.6 CONCLUSIONS 67 5.0 DESCRIPtION OF ENVIRONMENT AFFECILD BY PREFERRED I SCHEME 71 5.1 TERRESTRIAL 71 5.2 AQUATIC 76 I 5.3 SOCIAL 79 5.4 TRANSPORT 88 5.5 VISUAL 99 I 5.6 ATMOSPHERE 100 I 6.0 DESCRIPtION OF PREFERRED SCHEME 103 6.1 ROUTE DESCRIPI[ON 103 I 6.2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION 107 V I TABLE OF CONTENtS (cont) Page No. 7.0 POTENTIAl ENVIRONMENTAl.. IMPACT AND PROPOSED SAFEGUARDS 117 7.1 TERRESTRIAL 117 7.2 AUUAEIC 119 7,3 SOCIAL 123 7.4 TRANSPORT 124 7.5 VISUAL ENVIRONMENI 127 7.6 ATMOSPHERIC 130 8.0 ENERGY STATEMENT 134 9.0 CONCLUSIONS 134 10,0 REFERENCES 156 Annex A Directors Requirements Annex B - Study Team WORKING PAPERS (available in separate document) Working Paper A - Archaeology Working Paper B - Terrestrial Ecology Working Paper C - Aquatic Ecology Working Paper D - Estuarine Modelling and Sediments Working Paper E - Noise and Vibration Working Paper F - Tourism and Recreation Working Paper G - Community Studies Working Paper H - Vertical Wall Study Working Paper I - Government Departments and Authorities Comments I LIST OF TABLES I Page No. 2.1 REGIONAL TRAFFIC VOLUMES 6 I 2.2 REGIONAL AVERAGE GROWTH RAILS FOR SELEC1ED COUNTiNG STATIONS 7 2.3 HOLIDAY TRAFFIC FLOWS B 2.4 TRAFFIC PROJECTIONS 1990 AND 1995 FOR SELECTED I STATIONS 10 I 3.1 SOILS 16 3.2 CLASSIFICATION OF AGRICULTURAL LAND 20 3.3 RURAL LAND CAPABILITY 22 I 3,4 HISTORIC PLACES KIAMA AND SHELLHARBOUR DISIRICTS 32-34 4.1 TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COSTS 57 I 4.2 TOTAL EARTHWORKS SO 4.3 COMMUNITY IMPACT ASSESSMEN1 58-69 I 4.4 SUMMARY OF CIAS 70 5.1 COMPARISON OF POPULATIONS AND GROWTH RAILS 30 5.2 COMPARISONS OF AGE BREAKDOWN PROPORIIONS FOR 1981 132 t 5.3 OCCUPATIONAL STRUCTURE : STUDY AREA AND KIAMA MUNICIPALITY 1981 83 5.4 SUMMARY OF TRAFFIC COUNTS : PRINCES HIGHWAY I JULY - DECEMBER, 1985 90 5.5 INTERSECTION COUNTS AT PEAK 92 5.6 VEHICLE ACCIDENTS PRINCES HIGHWAY, MINNAMURRA RIVER TO SPRING CREEK, JANUARY 1981 - JUNE 1985 96 5,7 DESCRIPTION OF NOISE MONITORING LOCATIONS 101 I I I I I I I I I I I LIST OF FIGURES After I Page No 1.1 REGIONAL SETTING 2 I 2.1 DMR COUNT STATIONS 4 3.1 STUDY AREA AND CORRIDOR ALTERNATIVES 14 3.2 TERRAIN 14 li 3.3 SOILS 14 3.4 LAND USE 18 3.5 WEILANDS 20 3.6 AGGREGATE DEPOSITS 20 I 3.7 AGRICULTURAL CAPABILITY 20 3.8 RURAL CAPABILITY 22 3.9 CONSOLIDATED ZONING 24 I 3.10 ]AMBEROO VALLEY 24 3.11 SERVICE CORRIDORS 24 I PHOTOGRAPHS 3.1 and 3.2 36 4.1 CORRIDOR OPTIONS - SCHEMES A TO E 38 4.2 SCHEME A 42 I 4,3 SCHEME D 46 4.4 SCHEME E 46 4.5 SCHEME B 50 I 4.6 SCHEME C 52 4.7 LOCAL RESIDENTS PROPOSAL 54 I 5.1 PREFERRED ROUTE 72 5.2 VEGETATION DISTRIBUTION 72 5,3 ESTUARY VEGETATION 72 5.4 COLLECTION DISTRICTS 80 I 5,5 RESERVES 86 5.6 RECREATIONAL TRAFFIC 96 5,7 HISTOGRAM 98 I 5,8 NOISE MONITORING LOCATIONS 100 I PHOTOGRAPHS 5.1 to 5.4 100 6,1 PROPOSED HIGHWAY RECONSTRUCTION 104 6.2 LONGITUDINAL SECTION 110 6.3 SLOPEWASH SUPPORT 110 I 6,4 CROSS SECTION 112 6,5 INTERSECTION UPGRADING 116 I I $ I I I I SUMMARY THE PROPOSAL The Department of Main Roads, NSW (DMR) proposes to upgrade a section I of the Prince Highway on the South Coast of NSW, north of Kiama. Kiama is a coasta' town approximately 112 km from Sydney. The section of Highway proposed for upgrading is situated in the I northern suburbs of Kiama. The carriageway would be realigned and widened from two lanes to four lanes, with shoulders and a median strip. There is 4.3 kin of Highway involved commencing at the bridge I over the Minnamurra River then extending south to Boinbo. The resultant carriageway will provided drivers with a better line-of-sight, safer I driving conditions and free flow of traffic. I Upgrading will involve the duplication of the existing bridge over the Minnamurra River, on its eastern side. From the bridge to just north I of Oxley Avenue, the Highway travels between the Minnamurra River on the west, and the Kiama Golf Course and a basalt cliff on the east. Widening of the Highway will require some filling of the River. To I reduce effects on the River it is proposed that a vertical reinforced earth wall be constructed for the majority of this section. the I Highway widening will also encroach upon a small section of the Kiama Golf Course, and a section of the basalt cliff will be removed. I However, it will not affect houses located on top of the cliff. 1 From Oxley Avenue to Bombo the proposed upgrading is contained largely within the Kiama Council Arterial Road zoning. Some land acquisition will be required from the frontages of properties, however driveways I and access will be maintained. In conjunction with the upgrading of this southern section, a traffic management plan will be implemented. I This will involve changing the nature of intersections to reduce the number of conflict points along the Highway, and to allow a freer flow I for traffic. I As part of the traffic management plan, the number of right turns to the north will be reduced. However, left turrms will be avant'hle at. I I be denied and a service road constructed from Iluka Crescent paralle].- ing the Highway to North Kiama Drive. Access from North Kiama Drive to the existing Highway will be maintained. The Highway will be realigned to the west at this point and south to Bombo. An overbridge is proposed for construction from North Kiama Drive, across the new Highway alignment to join Barton Drive and its extension. Barton Drive is the southern access road from the subdiv ision ores cat Ga,insborough Estate. Gainsborough Estate is located ori the western side of the Hijhwuy and is a relatively new and developing northern suburb of Kiama. Curren. access from the Estate is from Meehan Drive at its northern end. Connecting ramps are proposed to join the Highway and the Barton Drive extension, which will join the overbrtdge allowing east-west movement of traffic from residences located on either side of the Highway, The Highway realignment on Bombo hill traverses an abandoned querry which will require filling for the new Highway and access ramps. The existing Highway will be retained to provide access to the new carriageway, which continues south to rejoin the existing Highway adjacent to Bombo station. The Highway then contrnues south to join the Kiama by-pass road. ALTERNATIVES Seven alternatives were considered; the no project alternative 9 two separate route corridors with variations, and one proposed by a local residents group (RANKS). The route corridors are referred to as the Princes Highway Options and the Swamp Road Options. The Princes Highway Options follow the alignment of the existing Highway. The Swamp Road Options follow a route corridor to the west of the existing Highway alignment, the Minnamurra River and the associated wetland area known as the Terragong Swamp. While similar to the Swamp Road Options at its northern end, the RANKS option veers further west over its southern section then joining Terralonq Street at Kiama. Within the Princes Highway corridor three alternatives were identified for the section of Highway from the Minnamurra River bridge to Ox.ley I Avenue. These alternatives were denoted Schemes A, D and E. The major differences between the Schemes relate to the encroachment into the River, excavation of the basalt cliff and encroachment onto the Kiama I Golf Course.