Warragamba/Silverdale & Surrounds Forum

Media Release
Date: 25 August 2009
Contact: Communications Unit on 4677 8244

Baines Hill Road Work

Wollondilly Shire Council has just completed Stage 3 of roadworks in the area known as Baines Hill in Warragamba, and will soon commence the fourth and final stage, completing the hill from top to bottom. There have been questions put to Council about the methods used and the work completed.

Council has used different treatment methods in the stages 1 to 4 of the work on Baines Hill. The first and second stages were finished with an asphalt surface as at these locations this treatment was deemed as resulting in the highest benefit to improve surface friction through the bends.

Stages 3 and in time stage 4 have been/ will be finished with a different road treatment. This treatment is the one that is most commonly used on our local road network. It involves a two coats of liquid bitumen with small stones (aggregate) rolled over the top. This finish is $300,000 less expensive over stages 3 and 4. We can therefore allocate funding to work on other important road safety issues.

The total amount of funding spent on this project upon completion will be $1.7 million, Stage 4 alone will cost $600,000 . The works in Stages 3 and 4 include other safety issues such as the re-alignment of the road both vertically and horizontally, reconstruction of the full depth of pavement, as well as road widening, significant drainage works plus the installation of street lights.

“We understand the frustration of residents using Baines Hill as there has been a significant amount of road work done causing traffic interruptions,” say Mayor, Cr Michael Banasik

“It is important to note that although the road treatments are different they are certainly adequate and we are giving our rate payers the best value for money, with safety always being our top priority,“ he said.





Did you know that Wollondilly Shire Council has a convenient Mobile Library Service? Check our website for details on http://www.wollondilly.nsw.gov.au or call the Library on 4677 8300.

Lets see how good a two coat seal holds up on the first hot day this summer. It will melt and peel off on the wheels of the first heavy vehicle, the same as it did on Farnsworth Ave. And don't we love driving on those shinney smooth sections. It won't take long to waste 300k on repairs. I hope I am proven to be wrong.

For those of us who used the road on Monday afternoon most would agree that my previous comment was nearly spot on. >:(
The road in places was almost liquid especially near Nortons Basin Road. It was only good luck that no heavy load came out of there as it would have peeled off a great section of melted tar.
When the road starts to pot hole and has to be patched up how is Council going to justify their cost saving by not Hot Mixing the whole road.
To see the great work the road builders did be ruined by penny pinching is just wrong.

What type of surface is going on the new intersection at Silverdale and Marsh Rd's. I hope its not another waste of our money.

Be safe.

Old Wombat

I travelled up Nortons Basin Road on Monday afternoon/evening and while stopped at the intersection noticed the "holes" in the road surfacing. I was also told that the trucks from the quarry that had moved in and out of there on that day had large chunks of road sticking to their wheels as they turned onto Silverdale Rd. Since this it appears to have had a spray of tar and heaps of aggregate dumped on it to try and fix the problem. I guess another super hot day like monday and the tar will again melt and not only will the truck drag lumps of tar on their wheels they will also shift a whole heap of rocks with that too!
It certainly be interesting to see how the road copes over the coming months, how council will react. And for next year being the 50th anniversary of the dam the extra traffic loads etc .....

I see the road has been marked out for major repairs on the bad sections of the brand new road. So how much of the 300K saving has council got left now.
This Thursday is going to be another 40+ day, lets see how the road surface stands up.

On another point if anyone is coming off Silverdale Rd into Marsh Rd be carefull not to run into the Bus Stop - great bit of road design.

Be safe.

[flash=]I AM TRULY OVER THIS[/flash]


On the 2nd October 2008 I attended a meeting in relation to the upgrading repair completion, whatever council wants to call it, of Silverdale Road from Farnsworth Ave to Baines Hill. This meeting was held at the Red Spot with councillors, the then mayor Mr Banasik, staff from Wollondilly Council, concerned activists and media.

The meeting was held to promote and advertise the repairs that were going to be done in relation to that portion of Silverdale Road. At that meeting, documentation was handed out, as well as councillors and staff from council answering questions in relation to needs and repairs relevant to the stretch of roadway.

Well surprise surprise and Merry Christmas..... we got sold another whitey. I managed to find some of that documentation that was handed out and I take great delight in publishing it here... by the way I wasnt the only person that received a copy of this... the fact is, the document was produced by a staff member from Wollondilly Council.

I will be submitting questions to council in relation to this document and why we copped that poor ineffective piece of road way that so much of the money was spent on. It lasted a week, and low and behold, we will put the good stuff where the road falls apart (Nortons turn off). Why didnt it go in to begin with. How much more did that cost. Wake up. Do the bloody job right first time. We are not the idiots that you would like to think we are Council, but it appears that maybe the shoe is on the other foot.

Please take note of the comments made on the attached document, especially the comments relating to construction from Nortons Basin Rd North towards Wallacìa, the last line with the star next to it really gets my attention.