Geoff Helisma | As the Pacific Motorway highway upgrade proceeds through the Clarence Valley, fears that the NSW Government will leave Clarence Valley Council (CVC) and the valley’s ratepayers with the cost of maintaining part of the old Pacific Highway came to the fore at last week’s council meeting (August 21). It also came to light that “the communities of Tyndale and Ulmarra and all residences in between will still be subjected to significant B-double truck movements through their villages” once the new motorway is completed, the report to council stated. Largely, this is a result of the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) having no intention of upgrading Eight Mile Lane, to accommodate the expected increase in traffic, effectively meaning that B-Doubles heading north from Grafton or south to Grafton would enter and exit the motorway at the Tyndale interchange. Works and Civil director Troy Anderson told councillors that under the current RMS plan that Eight Mile Lane did “not have the capacity or alignment” suitable for an “exit to a regional town”. Councillor Karen Toms: “Even for small trucks?” Troy Anderson: “Right, they can legally use it, but the road is unable to facilitate” the expected traffic. Seven of CVC’s nine councillors resolved to have CVC “lobby” the relevant state and federal ministers and local state and federal MPs, to “reclassify Eight Mile Lane, Glenugie between the existing Pacific Highway and the new Pacific Motorway to a state-controlled road”. Councillors also resolved to request the reconstruction of “Eight Mile Lane, Glenugie, between the existing Pacific Highway and the new Pacific Motorway, to a standard that will allow the road to function as a B-Double route … and that these works be funded and maintained by the Commonwealth or NSW State Government”. Thirdly, councillors called for the old highway, from Grafton to Tyndale, which is likely to be renamed the Gwydir Highway, to be extended to the Maclean interchange. Current plans only allow for the state to maintain the old highway from Glenugie to Tyndale. Councillor Greg Clancy voted against the decision, on the grounds that an upgrade to Eight Mile Lane could result in significant environmental and or ecological “damage”. Councillor Clancy failed to gain support for a “redesign [of] the Glenugie interchange to allow for exits from the north and the south”. Councillor Richie Williamson said he thought a “redesign of [the] interchange would cost millions” and suspected it would be cheaper to upgrade Eight Mile Lane. He said CVC should not try to rework the current design for the interchange, “where in my opinion the horse has bolted”. “I think Talking Heads said ‘a road to nowhere’,” Cr Williamson said. “It seems the Eight Mile Lane upgrade will possibly be the same. “It’s a bit strange to have a gold plated highway … [when] the whole idea is to get B-Doubles” off the old highway. Councillor Williamson was also sceptical about trusting the NSW Government to approve disaster funding in the event of damage to the old highway – similar to what occurred at Shark Creek when the river undermined the highway during a flood – if it is designated a local road. He cited recently having “to carry the can for the repair of a $600,000 levy that protects half of South Grafton”, following an unsuccessful application for disaster funding. During questions before debate, Cr Toms asked Works and Civil director Troy Anderson if CVC had been involved in the planning of the interchanges and accesses at Glenugie. Mr Anderson said CVC had unsuccessfully raised the issue with RMS “numerous times”. He recommended that councillors “take the other route and lobby politicians”. Councillor Jason Kingsley declared a significant non pecuniary interest and left the chamber, as his wife is employed by RMS.