Fernhill Road resident Grant Mitchell labelled it something out of the hit television comedy series Yes Minister.
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How could the Fernhill Road and Clifton Drive areas not be included in the investigation corridor for the new airport primary access road which forms part of the orbital road feasibility study?
Given, he pointed out to Port Macquarie-Hastings Council's public forum on Wednesday night, that the proposed flood free airport access route would see significant changes to Fernhill Road and Clifton Drive where it intersects with the Oxley Highway.
Specifically, access at the current roundabout would be closed.
- Read more: Orbital Road debate heats up
"This proposed (airport primary access) road will also, have significant impact on the area's accepted koala population, impact the two early learning centres, see the demolition of the historic Alban House and have serious social repercussions on ACES, a primary disability service centre," he said.
"How could Fernhill area not be included in the Opus feasibility study? There was no preliminary EIS, no preliminary anything.
"RMS roundabout protocols preclude two roundabouts from being with 200 metres of each other."
He believes the airport primary access road recommendations are a waste of ratepayers' money.
"And in terms of transparency, businesses and residents of Clifton Drive should also be consulted about the proposed airport road and subsequent Clifton Drive road closure plan."
They know nothing about it, he told the public forum.
Mr Mitchell is a member of the Save Fernhill Community Action Group.
He was one of 20 speakers at Wednesday night's packed-out council meeting.
About 250 people attended the meeting.
Mr Mitchell said he wanted council and councillors to have better awareness in relation to decision making.
"These decisions will go way beyond just that of potentially acquiring and or bulldozing residential properties as far as the Fernhill area is concerned," he said.
These decisions will go way beyond just that of potentially acquiring and or bulldozing residential properties as far as the Fernhill area is concerned.
- Grant Mitchell
"The story of how the Fernhill area ended up under the ‘blue line’ (the investigation corridor) is a debacle in itself, given that council commissioned a feasibility report and at community expense.
"However, they apparently did not understand the most basic of RMS requirements when it came to roundabouts.
"If it wasn’t so serious in terms of the devastating potential impacts of this proposal, this whole scenario would read like an episode of Yes Minister.
"It would be a great laugh."
Mr Mitchell said an independent report conducted by Biodiversity Australia verified Fernhill as a koala breeding and habitat area.
He said if the proposed airport road dissected the Fernhill area - as currently routed - this habitat will be destroyed.
"Council will have taken us one step further down the path to the 2050 WWF prediction (that koalas will be extinct in the Port Macquarie-Hastings).
"Council's own studies acknowledge that Port Macquarie’s loala population is on the decline and this proposal seems totally out of alignment with council's own koala recovery strategy.
Council's own studies acknowledge that Port Macquarie’s Koala population is on the decline and this proposal seems totally out of alignment with council's own Koala Recovery Strategy.
- Grant Mitchell
"We must not lose any more habitat.
"Council needs to draw a line in the sand where large developments wipe out sections of habitat and say enough is enough.
"There must be a less destructive way," he said.
Mr Mitchell also pointed to the historic Alban House. Built some 100 years ago and home to Alban Charles Elliott, coincidentally, Port Macquarie's longest serving mayor and founder of several major organisations.
He also noted the NDIS service provider ACES, which operates on Fernhill Road as being severely impacted by the proposed route.
The speaker also mentioned impacts on two early childhood centres that operate within the area.
The Save Fernhill campaign has over 3000 signatures on a petition, Mr Mitchell said.
"We put council on notice that we will continue this petition and continue to campaign until council finds the least destructive way.
"The current proposal just does not make sense," he told the meeting.
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