Greens Member for Ballina Tamara Smith will support Meerschaum Vale and Wardell residents as they discuss their concerns at a meeting tonight with representatives from the RMS and its subcontractors.
“Residents from Wardell feel the RMS has not listened to their concerns about the speed of heavy vehicles going through their town, or taken seriously enough the damage that the heavy vehicle traffic has been causing to their houses,” said Ms Smith.
“Meerschaum Vale residents have still not officially been told if a low noise pavement will be used on the Pacific Highway section which will run through their community.
“It’s great to hear that the community of Coolgardie will have the low noise finish on the highway surface through their residential areas. But the community of Coolgardie live on the highway and knew that this day would come.
“By contrast, the community of Meerschaum Vale never in their wildest dreams thought the Pacific Highway upgrade would meander inland from the current highway straight through their peaceful community.
“Whether on paper Meerschaum Vale qualifies or not for the RMS formula to surface roads with the best noise minimisation finish - in my view every residential community should be afforded this along the highway - they should be given this on the basis that they are a novel fact situation; no other community on the north coast has been impacted like they have and with no warning for the many residents who built their homes in Meerschaum Vale 30 years ago.
“Pacific Highway General Manager Bob Higgins is talking about equity in terms of their bottom line. I’m talking about equity in terms of decency and the right thing to do,” said Ms Smith.
The meeting between RMS and residents will take place tonight 6pm at the RMS McAndrews Lane site compound at Pimlico (off Whytes Lane West).