The head contractor for the construction of the Harwood Bridge, Pacifico Pty Ltd, has lodged a development application (DA) with Clarence Valley Council (CVC), to use 6,561 square metres of Yamba Business Park for a “lay-down area for the storage of materials and equipment” associated with the bridge’s construction. Pacifico says it intends to relocate its concrete beam manufacturing operations from Macksville to the Harwood Bridge site; however, Pacifico needs a flood-free site to store the beam moulds, associated equipment, vehicles and bridge materials. The Yamba site is adjacent to the presently under construction temporary highway worker accommodation. The Independent put a series of questions to CVC regarding how traffic involving “heavy articulated vehicles” would be managed, given that the Statement of Environmental Effects (SEE) only addresses the road network from Angourie Road to the site, which the SEE says “has been designed for heavy traffic, including the Deering St/Angourie Road intersection”. Meanwhile, the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) Restricted Access Vehicle mapping system does not appear to allow heavy vehicles access to Yamba (B Doubles, over 4.6mts high, etc) without some sort of RMS approval. The Independent asked if this was a factor, and what is the estimated incidence of these vehicles moving back and forth between Harwood and the Fairtrader Drive site? And whether or not traffic movements would be restricted to certain times so as to not inconvenience motorists in Yamba, particularly with the likely occurrence of hold-ups navigating roundabouts etcetera. The council’s environment, planning and community director Des Schroder said the questions “would need to be assessed during the development application (DA) process”. “Roads and Maritime Services will be contacted for comment, as it would be in any development of a similar nature,” he said. “The road network will be a key aspect of the assessment.” If approved, the storage yard/depot would be “required for a period of 2 years [or when the bridge is completed] and will be removed when no longer required”, the SEE states. The DA can be inspected at the Grafton and Maclean council offices; submission will be received until 4.30pm Monday August 7.