The upgrading of Mona Vale Road East costing $140 million began 29 January 2019, some might say this is good timing for Local State Member Rob Stokes with the upcoming State Election in March.

 

Works commenced with the clearing of trees hundreds of years old between Daydream Street, Mona Vale, and Lane Cove Road, Ingleside.

 

Friends of Mona Vale Road immediately had concerns relating to safety and lack of erosion control of the large work area.

 

No safety site fencing was installed to control or even deter unauthorised access to the work area thereby placing the public’s safety at risk.

 

No signage was displayed anywhere advising to keep out of the undefined works area.

 

No signage was displayed advising who was doing the work, no phone number or how they could be contacted in case of an emergency or for general enquires as is a legal requirement on all work sites even to build a house or secondary dwelling, yet no signage existed on this massive site area.

 

No silt control was installed to prevent soil erosion following the removal of trees and vegetation on the steep escarpment with sandstone soils.

 

Friends of Mona Vale immediately contacted Rob Stokes office each week for 3 weeks. Also Northern Beaches Council for 2 weeks and Safework for 1 week.

 

Subsequently token site fencing and erosion controls were installed during the clearing of the bush land for 2.5 kilometres however these measures were so minimalist they were a failure as will be shown.

 

Thursday evening 14 March 2019 there was 75mm of rain, followed by another 25mm on Friday night and additional showers over the weekend.

 

This site crosses the steep Sandstone Escarpment between Ingleside and Mona Vale and heavy rainfall is common here.

 

Since the rain, the sand build up at the bottom of the escarpment in Warriewood Valley is extreme, Mullet Creek, Fern Creek and Narrabeen Creek also affected.

 

Photos taken show the lack of adequate soil erosion control and its failure is clearly evident.

 

The first attempt of using black coloured soil erosion material was a failure where in the photos it can be seen to have been washed away by rain.

 

The green coloured sand bags placed on the site were washed across Mona Vale Road, down drains and ending up in creek beds. The bags are also being damaged and the sand inside is being washed away.

 

The white geotech fabric laid on top of the exposed sandy soils as a result of extensive tree removal is also being washed away as is the soil under it that the fabric is meant to be protecting.

 

The green coloured small silt control barrier is totally inadequate to control the extent of soil erosion on this large site and has failed for it’s required purpose.

 

Sand and rubble is being washed away, down slope and into inlet pits along the side of Mona Vale Road, drains are being blocked by this and additional vegetation debris. The result is sand, rubble and debris is being further washed across Mona Vale Road to the other side and the road shoulder is being washed away.

 

Trees and vegetation removed is being placed in the watercourses and blocking water flow when it rains.

 

Northern Beaches Council reply states it is not within their jurisdiction to be able to act on these matters, as it is a State controlled road and State controlled project.

 

It is of great concern that the RMS nor anyone else in the State Government is not monitoring the current works or the contractors adequately enough as the issues that have arisen simply should not be occurring.

 

Friends of Mona Vale Road have written to the RMS requesting copies of documents relating to the ‘Sediment Management Control Plan’ and it’s approval. An email has also been sent to Rob Stokes for assistance in getting these documents.

 

Photos taken show issues regarding the current Mona Vale Road East Upgrade and concerns we have regarding token measures taken after complaints from the community for inadequate environmental controls on site and inadequate measures to stop soil erosion and sand contamination of local creeks, no site signage when works began and what is there now and still is a lack of adequate site fencing.  

 

Photos show the huge extent of tree clearing, lack of adequate site fencing, early and current both failed attempts at soil erosion control, native wildlife road kill in the gutter of Mona Vale Road possibly as a result of loss of home habitat with the works, gates of token site fencing left open and not secured after work hours and over the weekends, rainwater has washed away and into the creek the geotech fabric laid on the ground in a failed attempt to control soil erosion, evidence of sand and soil being washed away with the rain, sand, rocks and other debris washed onto the road also resulting in blocked stormwater drains, drains blocked western side of Mona Vale Road, water then flows across the road to eastern side and washes away the road shoulder, trees and other debris stock piled on site blocking water flow, the outlet of the culvert under Mona Vale Road is shown with green sand bags that have been washed away from failed attempts upstream at stopping soil erosion and sand deposits carried from the tree clearing works with sand shown on the water covered rock shelf. The waterfall shown is about 30m to 50m downstream of the culvert outlet and there is sand build up around the edges of the plunge pool below the waterfall.

 

See link here for photos.      

 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/m52Zmm4U8TcsaYyE8

 

The local community is so concerned about these issues a video has also been made and put up on YouTube titled “MONA VALE ROAD COWBOYS”.