Princes Highway upgrade between Berry and Bomaderry Addendum Review of Environmental Factors April 2017 BLANK PAGE Roads and Maritime Services Princes Highway upgrade between Berry and Bomaderry Addendum Review of Environmental Factors April 2017 Prepared by Arcadis Australia Pacific Pty Ltd (Arcadis) and Roads and Maritime Services ABN: 76 104 485 289 RMS/Pub. 17.256 ISBN 978-1-925659-13-9 Copyright: The concepts and information contained in this document are the property of NSW Roads and Maritime Services. Use or copying of this document in whole or in part without the written permission of NSW Roads and Maritime Services constitutes an infringement of copyright. Executive summary Background Roads and Maritime Services (Roads and Maritime) proposes to upgrade 10.3 kilometres of the Princes Highway between Mullers Lane (south of Berry) and Cambewarra Road, Bomaderry (the Project) in New South Wales (NSW) The Project will provide a four-lane divided highway (two lanes in each direction) with median separation. The project is one of a series of upgrades to sections of the Princes Highway which aims to provide a four-lane divided highway between Waterfall and Jervis Bay Road, Falls Creek. This would improve road safety and traffic efficiency, including freight, on the NSW South Coast. A review of environmental factors (REF) was prepared for the Berry to Bomaderry upgrade project in November 2013 based on the concept design (referred to in this addendum REF as the project REF). The project REF was placed on public display between 1 and 29 November 2013 for community and stakeholder comment. A submissions report, dated March 2014 was prepared to respond to issues raised. The project has now been approved, and Roads and Maritime has engaged Arcadis Australia Pacific Pty Limited (Arcadis) to complete the final design (detailed design) for the project. During the finalisation of the final design, an addendum REF has been prepared to assess the likely impacts of the proposed changes on the environment, and to outline any additional protective measures to be implemented. The proposed changes The proposed changes include:  moving the road between Turners Lane and Morschels/Devitts lanes next to the existing Princes Highway. The existing Princes Highway would become a local road at this location. This will improve safety and traffic efficiency for users of the Princes Highway and construction workers by reducing the amount of travel for motorists through the construction zone;  changing the layout of the Strongs Road and Jaspers Brush Road interchange by removing the proposed U-turn bays and replacing these with two roundabouts. This will improve road safety and traffic efficiency in the area;  changing the proposed Pestells Lane and Meroo Road overpass by removing the roundabouts along Pestells Lane and Meroo Road, and changing the layout. This will improve road safety and traffic efficiency in the area;  changes to the design of bridges and major flood and drainage structures to minimise and better manage the expected flooding impacts of the proposal. It will also minimise the proposal footprint within and next to creeks;  establishment of a permanent road maintenance facility adjacent to the southbound highway lanes at the Pestells Lane and Meroo Road interchange;  changes to 10 property accesses to improve safety for residents as they enter and exit their properties;  changes to construction ancillary site facilities, including 10 new locations to minimise impacts to private properties;  changes to rock excavation techniques during construction. Princes Highway upgrade between Berry and Bomaderry i Addendum Review of Environmental Factors Need for the proposed changes Section two of the project REF addresses the strategic need for the project and its objectives. The proposed changes assessed in this addendum REF are consistent with the strategic need of the project. The proposed changes are required to improve road safety and traffic efficiency, including for freight, on the NSW South Coast. Proposal objectives and development criteria for the addendum REF Section 2.3 of the project REF identifies the project objectives and development criteria that apply to the proposed modifications. These objectives and criteria also apply to the proposed modifications. The proposed modifications that are the subject of this addendum REF have the following additional objectives:  improve access to land owners entering and exiting properties;  changes to the required construction ancillary site facilities;  improvements to road maintenance during operation. Options considered Other options to the proposed changes as described in this addendum REF were considered during final design and assessed against the objectives listed in Section 2.3. The following options were considered:  keeping the alignment of the approved concept design for the Berry to Bomaderry upgrade (Option 1);  upgrade of the Princes Highway between Berry and Bomaderry in accordance with the changes identified as part of the final design (Option 2). Option two is the preferred option for upgrading the Princes Highway between Berry and Bomaderry. The proposed changes would allow the project to more effectively meet the proposal criteria outlined in the project REF, and would provide improved road safety and traffic efficiency on the NSW South Coast. Statutory and planning framework Clause 94 of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Infrastructure) 2007 (ISEPP) permits development on any land for the purpose of a road or road infrastructure facilities to be carried out by, or on behalf of, a public authority without consent. As the Princes Highway upgrade between Berry and Bomaderry is for the upgrade of a road and associated infrastructure facilities, and is to be carried out on behalf of Roads and Maritime, it can be assessed under Part 5 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act). For the purposes of these works, Roads and Maritime is the proponent and the determining authority. This addendum review of environmental factors fulfils the requirements of Section 111 of the EP&A Act and has been prepared in accordance with clause 228 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000. It has also considered the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act), the Fisheries Management Act 1994 (FM Act), and the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). Princes Highway upgrade between Berry and Bomaderry ii Addendum Review of Environmental Factors Community and stakeholder consultation Roads and Maritime has been consulting with the community and stakeholders since 2006 about this project. It considers meaningful and robust community engagement to be an essential part of the project. As such, community and stakeholder consultation has been carried out throughout the life of the project including during final design with the local community, Aboriginal community, local government, State government agencies and utility providers. Community and stakeholder engagement will be ongoing throughout the construction phase of the project. Environmental impacts Noise and vibration  Noise management levels would be exceeded for the following number of sensitive receivers:  27 properties during standard construction hours (7am to 6pm weekdays, 8am to 1pm Saturdays);  24 properties during the evening construction period (6pm to 10pm);  52 properties during the night time period (10pm to 7am);  14 of the 52 receivers affected by night-time construction noise, may experience sleep disturbance. Several properties have been identified as needing noise mitigation treatments to address these exceedances. Details of these mitigation measures are detailed in section 6.2.5. Biodiversity  as part of final design, the total amount of vegetation to be cleared would be reduced by 2.6 hectares from when the concept design was proposed;  clearance of vegetation classified as endangered ecological communities would be reduced by 0.23 hectares. Endangered ecological communities that would require clearance as a result of the project include: - 0.04 hectares of Freshwater Wetlands on Coastal Floodplains of the NSW North Coast, Sydney Basin and South East Corner Bioregions (FWCF); - 0.43 hectares of River-Flat Eucalypt Forest on Coastal Floodplains of the NSW North Coast, Sydney Basin and South East Corner Bioregions (RFEFCF); - 0.25 hectares of Illawarra Lowlands Grassy Woodland in the Sydney Basin Bioregion (ILGW).  it is expected that 38 hollow bearing trees containing 130 hollows would be removed as part of the project;  the project REF identified a roost of about 15 microbats at Flying Fox Creek and considered it to be of high value. Targeted microbat surveys carried out during the final design have identified additional roost sites at a culvert at Tandingulla Creek as well as a maternity roost with between 30-60 Southern Myotis in the stock underpass south of Strongs Road;  measures would be implemented to minimise impacts to fauna species including the installation of additional nest boxes and the creation of species-specific permanent structures that would supplement the loss of microbat habitat in culverts and bridges. The permanent roost habitat which would be installed in selected culverts and bridges along the alignment would target Southern Myotis specifically. Princes Highway upgrade between Berry and Bomaderry iii Addendum Review of Environmental Factors Flooding The establishment of flood mitigation structures, diversion channels and refinement of drain designs have resulted in a reduction of flood impacts on pasture land when compared with the project REF. Changes to impacts on pasture land during 100 year Average Recurrence Interval (ARI) flood events as a result of the final design are predicted to occur at the following locations:  lot 4 DP249085 (upstream Pestells Lane interchange). Flood water levels are predicted to increase by up to 670 mm. This property is owned by Roads and Maritime hence the adverse flood impacts are considered acceptable;  lot 27 DP131007 (downstream Abernethys Creek bridge). Flood water levels are predicted to increase by up to 350 mm at the southern end of this property. This impact is triggered by the proposed channel that would divert flood water from Tullian Creek towards Abernethys Creek. A levee bank located to the east of the highway and to the north of Abernethys Creek about 290 m long is proposed to be built to protect the dwelling located at this property from a 100 year ARI flood;  lot 5 DP582148 and Lot 93 DP130760 (next to channel that would divert flood water from Tullian Creek towards Abernethys Creek). A narrow strip of pasture land running next to the proposed channel would have flood water level increases by up to 500 mm. Flood impacts are confined to this narrow strip of land and are therefore considered minor in nature;  lot 2 DP882059 (upstream of the Abernethys Lane). Two areas of agricultural land (480 m2 in total) are predicted to have a 100 year ARI water level increase of greater than 250 mm. The area of impacts greater than 250 mm extends within the property by up to 15m. Due to the localised nature of these impacts, this impact is not considered to be adverse. Aboriginal heritage As a result of the proposed changes there would be additional impacts to five previously identified Aboriginal heritage sites (G2B A48, G2B A50, G2B A53, G2B A59 and G2B A61). Staged salvage excavation would be undertaken at four sites (G2B A48, G2B A50, G2B A59 and G2B A61) to mitigate the potential impacts of the proposed works on these Aboriginal sites. Impacts at one site (G2B A53) are minor and localised. It is assessed that the results of the previous salvage program have already retrieved a representative sample of the assemblage at this site and no further salvage excavation is required. An AHIP variation would be required for additional impacts to the five abovementioned sites and to cover all areas of works outside of the current AHIP boundary. No salvage excavation would be carried out until the AHIP variation has been approved. The proposed changes would not impact any newly identified Aboriginal heritage sites, and would not alter the potential impacts to Aboriginal cultural heritage as identified in the project REF. Non-Aboriginal heritage As a result of the proposed changes, a change in impacts to 17 previously identified non-Aboriginal heritage items near the project would occur during construction of the project. The changes in impacts to affected items are detailed in section 6.7.3. Mitigation measures including additional recording and exclusion fencing would be implemented to minimise any impacts to non-Aboriginal heritage items during construction. Princes Highway upgrade between Berry and Bomaderry iv Addendum Review of Environmental Factors Property and land use The final design of the project has resulted in changes to the amount of property acquisition and the properties affected by acquisition. In summary:  the proposed changes would require an additional 3.31 hectares of acquisition compared to what was identified as being required in the project REF;  eight properties that were not previously subject to acquisition would require acquisition. This is referred to in section 6.8.2;  eighteen properties identified as requiring some acquisition in the project REF would be subject to a reduction in the amount of acquisition required;  thirty-six properties identified as requiring some acquisition in the project REF would be subject to an increase in the amount of acquisition required;  eleven properties identified as requiring some acquisition in the project REF would no longer be subject to acquisition. Other impacts Impacts to the following environmental aspects are expected to remain consistent with what was presented in the project REF:  traffic and transport;  surface water and groundwater;  landscape character and visual amenity;  geology and soils;  air quality;  hazard and risk;  waste and resource management;  greenhouse gas and climate change;  cumulative impacts. Justification and conclusion The proposed modifications are consistent with the Project objectives as stated in section 2.3 of the project REF and section 2.2 of this addendum REF. In particular, the proposed design changes meet the objectives of improving potential beneficial environmental effects and managing potential adverse environmental impacts, as well as optimising the benefits and minimising adverse impacts on the local social environment. This addendum REF has examined and taken into account to the fullest extent possible all matters affecting or likely to affect the environment by reason of the proposed activity. Princes Highway upgrade between Berry and Bomaderry v Addendum Review of Environmental Factors (this page has been left blank intentionally) Princes Highway upgrade between Berry and Bomaderry vi Addendum Review of Environmental Factors