MEETING ACTIONS
Name of meeting:
Hunter Expressway Council Liaison Group Meeting No 9.
Location of meeting:
Kurri Kurri TAFE Seminar Room 1 in building BB
Meeting facilitator:
Hudson Bawden and Peter Carson (RMS)
Date: 30 May 2013
Time:
Attendees:
10am to 12 noon (includes lunch).
P Carson, RMS
W Irwin, RMS
A Zycki, RMS
A Bowditch, Bowditch Group
B Parkes, RMS
P Miles, Cessnock Council
G Fell, RMS
A Brierley, Lake Macquarie Council
H Bawden, RMS
S Hawes, Maitland Council
K Hagan, RMS
O Beverley, Abigroup
G Trunk, RMS
C Lenane, Abigroup
A McKenzie, RMS
Apologies:
Item
K Saxby, RMS
C James, Maitland Council
P Jennings, Cessnock Council
P Bishton, RMS
M Shah, Singleton Council
G Thomson, Singleton Council
L Neville, Thiess
T Gant, RMS
Description
1
Introductions
2
Confirmation of previous minutes
Action
Due
The minutes of the previous Road Classification Review Workshop and
Council Liaison Group meeting No. 8 were accepted.
See Item 6 amendments requested.
Road Classification Review Workshop
Alpha Numeric road numbering system has now been announced and
gazetted. F3 Freeway now known as M1 Pacific Motorway and RMS is
still considering renaming a section of the New England Highway. RMS to
write to councils. No movement.
RMS
LMCC met with RMS in December to discuss Road Reclassification
issues. Further discussions required regarding Minmi Road.
Council Liaison Group Meeting No. 6
5.1 CCC & MCC met with RMS on 15 February as part of ongoing
negotiations. Council has requested a road safety audit of Lovedale Road
and Allandale Road as part of these negotiations, with a more
RMS/
LMCC
1 of 5
Item
Description
comprehensive list of actions, responsibilities and timeframes to be
provided under a separate letter from CCC to RMS. Process is underway
and there has been meetings regarding this. Another meeting planned in
mid June.
Action
Due
RMS/
Council
5.3 Data provided to CCC by RMS. Completed
RMS explained the proposed Visitor Information Boards which will be
placed in the Buchanan rest area eastbound and westbound. Text for
tourist information will be sent to Councils, Tourism Groups and other
stakeholders for comment.
Proposal to name bridge over South Maitland Railway the JL Horseman
bridge was advertised in local newspapers on 18 February 2013 and
comments closed on 18 March 2013. Have received positive feedback on
this thus far.
3.
Info
Alliance section update and upcoming events

HEA progressing well. The D & C will finish towards end of 2013 and
whole project to open as one in December subject to weather.

Newcastle to Sydney on-ramp opened in May 2013.

Cameron Park Drive was completed in May.

Viaducts bridges are completed. Deck erections were completed in
December 2012. There are 566 segments.

The rest areas east of Buchanan are nearly complete. All the concrete
paving was completed in May 2013.

Buchanan Interchange (John Renshaw Drive, 6 traffic stages): Final
asphalt will be done this week. The interchange roundabout opened on
April 2013.

Handover of local roads: HEA hands permanent works over to RMS on
completion. RMS will agree to maintenance responsibility with council
and handover infrastructure on local roads back to the council. Local
roads affected by temporary works are dealt with (in HEA section - part
of Seahampton Rd, Buchanan Rd and Averys Lane) directly between
HEA and Council. HEA is liasing with LMCC and CCC.

4.
Info
Local and Regional Road – CCC to discuss with RMS.
Info
RMS/
CCC
Design & Construct (D&C) section update and upcoming events

Completion of the project is scheduled for the end of December 2013,
weather permitting. The full 40kms of the Hunter Expressway will be
opened as one project.

Earthworks are nearly completed.

Blasting on the entire project is finished.

Construction on bridge at Kurri Kurri is going well.

Construction is progressing at Hart Road, Loxford.

Bridge at Lovedale Rd opened on 3 April 2013.

Camp Road, Branxton, is progressing well.
Info
2 of 5
Item
5.
Description

Traffic switches required at Black Creek, New England Highway – Need
to communicate to the public how they are going to be moved around to
allow for construction.

The unsettled weather lately is what has been disrupting the concreting.
Project team are unable to concrete in the wet weather or if it is
expected to rain that day.

Crystal Lenane is taking over from Angela Hazell as Community
Relations Manager for Abigroup.
Action
Due
Key outcomes in communications

Opening celebrations - The opening event will not be held on the same
day as traffic is switched to new expressway. Team working with Kurri
Kurri Festival committee re shared resources on the day, Kurri Kurri will
still be holding there annual Festival on a separate day in October. RMS
will be supporting the Kurri Kurri Festival and will have an information
stand there. RMS will be involving the Kurri Kurri Festival committee in
the Hunter Expressway opening celebrations, they will be organising
community groups for stands, stalls etc.
Info
Timing is not locked in but event could be held in late December 2013.
The location will be Kurri Kurri interchange as this is central, there is
community on both sides and there is plenty of parking space for the day.
6.

Tocal field day was on 3, 4 & 5 May. It was the most successful
communications activity done on the project so far. There were 900
brochures and they were all handed out. Extra fact sheets were obtained
and almost all of them were also handed out. The majority of questions
being asked by the community were regarding the New England
Highway at Branxton.

Next community event at Kurri Kurri is being planned.

RMS will be having an information stall for NAIDOC week in Rotary Park
Kurri Kurri on 11 July 2013.

Environmental brochure is ready for Environment day, 5 June 2013. It
has been designed as an educational tool. Formal distribution of the
document is still to happen.
Hunter Expressway Rest Area Visitor Information signage (rest area
tourism information)

Handout of suggested text for visitor information signs given to the
Councils.
CCC

Hardcopy of information provided to CCC. Council will send the review
of wording (Western) to RMS.
MCC
 MCC to send a review comments hardcopy to RMS.
7.
Planning matters

This item to be removed from the future Agenda as there is not expected
to be any future planning matters for discussion.

RMS indicated that the Hart Road / Government Road / Sawyers Gully
Road / Gingers Lane intersection will require some delineation
RMS
3 of 5
Item
Description
Action
Due
improvement prior to Hunter Expressway opening. It is currently not line
marked in an effective way for the changed traffic patterns expected.
The improvements to the design should reflect this. RMS is currently
considering a Council proposal for the reclassification of this route from
'Regional Road' to 'State Road' as part of the ongoing Road Network
Classification negotiations. The classification of this route (amongst
others) needs to be finalised in a timely manner such that the
responsibility for improvements, including line marking, can be
determined and the improvements implemented by the appropriate
agency.
Planning – Maitland Council
8.
9.

Pushing for Buchanan to be a State Road.

10,000 vehicles come into East Maitland; roundabouts into Brunswick
Street, Chisholm Road and Mitchell Drive need to be upgraded to deal
with this. Don’t have the resources in the short term to complete them,
Steve is formalising entry.

Intersection upgrades required at Louth Park Road, Brisbane Street,
Brunswick Street and Mitchell Drive.

MCC to get conceptual material to RMS.

Minmi Road – LMCC to discuss with RMS re regional road classification
review.
MCC
MCC
LMCC
Construction matters

Cessnock Council noted that after construction there will be a need for
another condition rating of the surrounding roads to check for any Hunter
Expressway related damage.
RMS

Camp Road, Cessnock side of the overpass, there is an issue with
bleeding. If there another seal to go on? It is believed that there is
another seal to go on. CCC is comfortable with that answer if that is the
case. RMS to check and get back to CCC.
RMS
Handover matters

Richmond Vale Rail Trail is seeking seed funding through the Hunter
Regional Development fund. The group will now progress to the next
stage. CCC to meet with the group to discuss process.
Info

MCC are looking for additional funds for road upgrades after the road
safety audit of Buchanan Road. RMS will consider any application.
MCC

RMS and MCC met regarding the long term needs for Buchanan Road
and Mt Vincent Road. MCC to determine requirements.

CCC has drafted a summary of their requirements following a meeting
with RMS. Costs to be forwarded to RMS mid March as part of the Road
Network Classification negotiations.
CCC

CCC wants it noted that there is an ongoing consultation process
regarding the Hunter Expressway Directional Signage Scheme and any
changes should go through the CLG.
RMS

RMS to check Information signage for NEH Link Road connection to the
NEH. RMS to follow up.
MCC
4 of 5
Item
Description
10.
General
11.

Rest areas at Belford. Talk to Singleton Councils about removing it.
There is a heavy vehicle rest area at Branxton.

Watched a video on Low Noise Diamond Grinding.
Action
Due
Info
Next meeting
Next meeting to be held on Thursday 19 September 2013.
5 of 5