Annual Report 2006 (main body) - RTA - NSW Government

For single invitation maintenance contracts,
205 contractor performance reports were
undertaken for 87 council providers. In July
2005 RTA moved from single invitation
maintenance contracts to the alliance
approach with RTA internal providers.
A reporting structure for environmental
performance of alliance projects is under
development. Refer to the Positive
Economic Outcomes chapter for more
information on alliance projects.
AIR QUALITY
M5 East Air Quality
Improvement Plan
In June 2006 the Minister for Roads
announced the NSW Government’s air
quality improvement plan for the M5 East
Tunnel.
The air quality improvement plan included:
Video identification of smoky heavy
vehicles trial.
Increased ventilation flows with
an extra 12 fans.
A trial of filtration technology.
The video detection system will monitor and
identify polluting heavy vehicles in the M5
East Tunnel and lead to these vehicles being
directed to emissions testing and treatment
under the Clean Fleet program. A trial
indicated that treated vehicles have had
emissions reduced by an average of 30 to
40 per cent and in some circumstances by
over 80 per cent.
An additional 12 ceiling fans will be installed
and these are expected to improve intunnel
air quality.
The trial of filtration technology will also
remove particulates causing haze and treat
air in the western end of the westbound
tunnel. The plant is expected to provide a
visible improvement to air quality at the
worst affected section of the M5 East.
M5 East Freeway Air Quality
Management Plan
The ongoing Air Quality Management Plan
(AQMP) introduced in 2002 for the M5 East
is due to be completed in 2007. The $2.5
million program identified opportunities to
improve air quality in the sub-region of the
M5 East ventilation stack.
The AQMP Steering Group, comprising
representatives from NSW Health,
Department of Planning, DEC and the
RTA, developed strategies for the AQMP.
Table 7 presents the actions implemented
in 2005–06.
Ambient air quality monitoring continued
for the M5 East. Monitoring data and reports
are available on the RTA website. None of
the air quality goals were exceeded due to
operation of the M5 East stack.
HERITAGE
Aboriginal culture and heritage
The Aboriginal Liaison Protocol was
developed further with the incorporation
of new consultation requirements issued by
the DEC. The protocol is an internal staff
procedure which specifies Aboriginal liaison
requirements and will form part of the RTA
Aboriginal Heritage Guidelines.
Heritage and Conservation Register
The RTA has a responsibility under section
170 of the Heritage Act 1977 to identify
and manage the items of heritage in its
ownership or control. These items are
predominantly bridges but also include
vehicular ferries, property assets, movable
collections and archaeological items.
The RTA Heritage and Conservation
(S170) Register is regularly updated. Since
2005, heritage assessments have been
completed for RTA owned or controlled
concrete slab and arch bridges in NSW,
concrete beam bridges in Sydney, South
West and Southern Regions and identified
archaeological items.
The second edition of the RTA Thematic
History, a component of the S170 Register,
was released in March 2006. It describes the
history of NSW road departments, road and
TABLE 7
M5 EAST FREEWAY AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLAN PROGRESS
PROGRAM
2005–06 PROGRESS
The NSW Government’s new air quality
improvement plan for the M5 East Tunnel was
announced in June 2006.
Community education
Travel demand
management
The Environment Australia brochure Hot Tips, on correct use
of solid fuel heaters, was translated into four languages for distribution
and community education through the local council’s Non English
Speaking Background networks.
Transport Access Guides to encourage people to use more
environmentally sustainable transport, were distributed.
46 POSITIVE ENVIRONMENTAL AND URBAN DESIGN OUTCOMES