Latest news with #MichaelAtkinson
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Concern over future of 103-year-old Walton-on-Thames bowling green
A 103-year-old Surrey bowling green could be destroyed and members forced to move to another Borough Council (EBC) is looking to continue negotiations into potentially selling the historic Walton-on-Thames bowling green to make way for a new, state-of-the-art NHS have described the offer as a "once in a generation opportunity" to provide a central health hub for people in the officers told EBC's Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday that they were continuing conversations with the club to find them a new home. EBC Cabinet members had agreed to give the NHS the right to buy part of Elm Grove recreational ground on 30 local NHS team hopes to move from its current home at Walton Community Hospital in Rodney Road to this new and Hinchley Wood Residents' Association member Janet Turner said her main concern was that the council would sign Elm Grove away without any concrete agreement from the the council had promised to rebuild the bowling green elsewhere in the borough but realised creating a new centre would be extortionate, according to the Local Democracy Reporting John Cope said that according to officers' notes, there were no viable relocation options for the club as none of the land owned by the council was suitable for a bowling Atkinson, treasurer of the Walton-on-Thames Bowling Club, previously said it would be "an awful shame" to "wipe away" the club's 103-year decisions have been made but officers and members agreed to continue to look at negotiating a deal for the proposed health centre. A spokesperson for North West Surrey Alliance, a partnership of local councils and NHS organisations, previously said the site provided an opportunity for the area to "have a first class health infrastructure and receive integrated health services".
Perth Now
5 days ago
- Climate
- Perth Now
Motorist stranded for 26 hours in flood zone
Record-breaking floods have submerged the Pacific Highway near Taree for nearly five days, leaving one motorist stranded and unable to get back home for 26 hours. A 20km stretch between Coopernook and South Taree was closed, forcing motorists like Michael Atkinson to undertake arduous detours last Wednesday. Flood waters left many motorists isolated earlier on the NSW Mid-North Coast in May. NewsWire handout/ Transport NSW Credit: NewsWire Mr Atkinson's journey from Maclean to Nelson Bay extended to 26 hours due to the closures. 'I found out there was a road closure when I got within 10km of Taree,' he told the ABC. 'It took me 26 hours to get home, driving north, camping in Glen Innes, and then driving all the way inland and up through the Hunter Valley.' These severe disruptions highlighted the region's vulnerability to extreme weather events. The MidCoast Council estimates the financial impact of the highway closure at approximately $29m, taking into account diverted traffic and disrupted supply routes. But motorists said the confusion and a lack of clear, accurate information about closures and detours made the highway shutdown even more disruptive. The NSW MidCoast Council estimates the financial impact of the highway closure at approximately $29m. NewsWire Handout/ Transport NSW Credit: NewsWire The Pacific Highway is a major supply route for the entire north coast of NSW, and Transport for NSW estimates that more than 26,000 vehicles use the Pacific Highway near Taree everyday with 80 per cent of them being cars and 20 per cent being trucks. Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said on Monday people needed to be mindful when driving in challenging conditions. 'LiveTraffic doesn't tell anyone to go anywhere,' Ms Aitchison said. 'Everyone's doing their best but it's a difficult situation because no matter what somebody saw 10 minutes before they went in to update LiveTraffic, it can change in an instant. 'It's a challenging situation and I'll be looking at what we can do better next time.' The recent floods have also resulted in significant human and economic tolls across the state. At least four fatalities have been reported, with nearly 50,000 residents isolated due to inundated roads. Emergency services have conducted over 675 rescues, and the Insurance Council of Australia has received more than 1,600 claims related to flood damage.
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Pacific Highway flood closure leaves driver stranded for hours in NSW
Record-breaking floods have submerged the Pacific Highway near Taree for nearly five days, leaving one motorist stranded and unable to get back home for 26 hours. A 20km stretch between Coopernook and South Taree was closed, forcing motorists like Michael Atkinson to undertake arduous detours last Wednesday. Mr Atkinson's journey from Maclean to Nelson Bay extended to 26 hours due to the closures. 'I found out there was a road closure when I got within 10km of Taree,' he told the ABC. 'It took me 26 hours to get home, driving north, camping in Glen Innes, and then driving all the way inland and up through the Hunter Valley.' These severe disruptions highlighted the region's vulnerability to extreme weather events. The MidCoast Council estimates the financial impact of the highway closure at approximately $29m, taking into account diverted traffic and disrupted supply routes. But motorists said the confusion and a lack of clear, accurate information about closures and detours made the highway shutdown even more disruptive. The Pacific Highway is a major supply route for the entire north coast of NSW, and Transport for NSW estimates that more than 26,000 vehicles use the Pacific Highway near Taree everyday with 80 per cent of them being cars and 20 per cent being trucks. Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said on Monday people needed to be mindful when driving in challenging conditions. 'LiveTraffic doesn't tell anyone to go anywhere,' Ms Aitchison said. 'Everyone's doing their best but it's a difficult situation because no matter what somebody saw 10 minutes before they went in to update LiveTraffic, it can change in an instant. 'It's a challenging situation and I'll be looking at what we can do better next time.' The recent floods have also resulted in significant human and economic tolls across the state. At least four fatalities have been reported, with nearly 50,000 residents isolated due to inundated roads. Emergency services have conducted over 675 rescues, and the Insurance Council of Australia has received more than 1,600 claims related to flood damage.
RNZ News
5 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
'26 hours to get home': Floods close a 20-kilometre stretch of NSW Pacific Highway
By Toby Hemmings and Claire Simmonds , ABC Floodwaters inundating the northern NSW city of Lismore. Photo: AFP PHOTO / NEW SOUTH WALES STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE Record-breaking flooding created unprecedented traffic chaos on New South Wales roads last week, costing tens of millions of dollars and casting a cloud of uncertainty over the road's flood resilience . Most notably, flooding closed a 20-kilometre stretch of the Pacific Highway dual carriageway between Coopernook and South Taree for almost five days. Michael Atkinson was one of the motorists frustrated on Wednesday when he was returning home from Maclean in the Clarence Valley. The trip, which normally takes about five hours, took five times that long. "I found out there was a road closure when I got within 10 kilometres of Taree," he said. "I live in Nelson Bay. It took me 26 hours to get home, driving north, camping in Glen Innes, and then driving all the way inland and up through the Hunter Valley." According to estimates from MidCoast Council, the financial cost of the Pacific Highway closure was about $29 million, due to diverted traffic and supply routes. But drivers have told the ABC the impact of the road closures was exacerbated by incorrect and unclear information about what roads were closed and what alternative routes were available. Stretch of Pacific Highway flooded for five days. Photo: Supplied/ABC News After nearly 30 years of dual carriageway upgrades, the Pacific Highway between Hexham and the Queensland border acts as a major supply route for the entire north coast of NSW. More than 26,000 vehicles use the Pacific Highway near Taree every day, according to Transport for NSW data, with 80 percent cars and 20 percent trucks. A 2020 floodplain risk management study, commissioned by MidCoast Council, estimated the cost of closing the Pacific Highway near Taree for just a day would be up to $5.79 million. The study also looked at raising the section of Pacific Highway that crossed the Manning River as an option to improve flood resilience. It estimated the upgrade would cost about $134 million, and was not financially viable. Executive director of operations management with Transport for NSW Craig Mason said flood resiliency was something the organisation would look at across the network. "Stopping the impacts in the future will require a lot of work and expense," Mason said. "But we're always looking at how we can make the network more resilient and diversions more efficient. "With the water levels, particularly through Taree being the highest ever, it's quite difficult to try and build networks that can avoid floods in any circumstance." Multiple drivers told the ABC issues with the Pacific Highway closure were exacerbated by inconsistent information from navigation apps and LiveTraffic, Transport for NSW's real-time information provider. LiveTraffic is fed real-time information by road crews dispatched from the Transport Management Centre and emergency services. A forward command centre was set up in Newcastle during the flood emergency. But navigation apps were often unclear about which routes were open or closed, leading to people becoming stranded in flood-affected areas. Over two days, about 20 people arrived in the remote valley community of Killabakh, north-west of Taree, after misdirection by navigational aids. Killabakh Rural Fire Service senior deputy captain Greg Hale and his team, on stand-by for flood rescues, met the new refugees to the valley. "Most of them consulted LiveTraffic, which is what you're told to do in emergency situations," Hale said. "And they were then advised they could come over Comboyne Mountain into Killabakh to get further south in their travels, but Killabakh itself was flooded in. "The information that was available to them about the way they could get to their destination sent them over the mountain and was certainly inappropriate." The Rural Fire Service crew enacted the local emergency management plan and opened the community hall as a shelter for those stranded for the night, which quickly turned into two nights. Jenny Aitchison speaking in Kempsey about the road network. Photo: Supplied/ABC News Speaking in Kempsey on Monday, Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said people needed to be mindful when driving in such challenging conditions. "LiveTraffic doesn't tell anyone to go anywhere," Aitchison said. "Everyone's doing their best but it's a difficult situation because no matter what somebody saw 10 minutes before they went in to update LiveTraffic, it can change in an instant. "It's a challenging situation and I'll be looking at what we can do better next time." - ABC
ABC News
5 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Record-breaking floods that closed Pacific Highway test road resilience
Record-breaking flooding created unprecedented traffic chaos on New South Wales roads last week, costing tens of millions of dollars and casting a cloud of uncertainty over the road's flood resilience. Most notably, flooding closed a 20-kilometre stretch of the Pacific Highway dual carriageway between Coopernook and South Taree for almost five days. Michael Atkinson was one of the motorists frustrated on Wednesday when he was returning home from Maclean in the Clarence Valley. The trip, which normally takes about five hours, took five times that long. "I found out there was a road closure when I got within 10 kilometres of Taree," he said. According to estimates from MidCoast Council, the financial cost of the Pacific Highway closure was about $29 million, due to diverted traffic and supply routes. But drivers have told the ABC the impact of the road closures was exacerbated by incorrect and unclear information about what roads were closed and what alternative routes were available. After nearly 30 years of dual carriageway upgrades, the Pacific Highway between Hexham and the Queensland border acts as a major supply route for the entire north coast of NSW. More than 26,000 vehicles use the Pacific Highway near Taree every day, according to Transport for NSW data, with 80 per cent cars and 20 per cent trucks. A 2020 floodplain risk management study, commissioned by MidCoast Council, estimated the cost of closing the Pacific Highway near Taree for just a day would be up to $5.79 million. The study also looked at raising the section of Pacific Highway that crossed the Manning River as an option to improve flood resilience. It estimated the upgrade would cost about $134 million, and was not financially viable. Craig Mason, the executive director of operations management with Transport for NSW, said flood resiliency was something the organisation would look at across the network. "Stopping the impacts in the future will require a lot of work and expense," Mr Mason said. "But we're always looking at how we can make the network more resilient and diversions more efficient. Multiple drivers told the ABC issues with the Pacific Highway closure were exacerbated by inconsistent information from navigation apps and LiveTraffic, Transport for NSW's real-time information provider. LiveTraffic is fed real-time information by road crews dispatched from the Transport Management Centre and emergency services. A forward command centre was set up in Newcastle during the flood emergency. But navigation apps were often unclear about which routes were open or closed, leading to people becoming stranded in flood-affected areas. Over two days, about 20 people arrived in the remote valley community of Killabakh, north-west of Taree, after misdirection by navigational aids. Killabakh Rural Fire Service senior deputy captain Greg Hale and his team, on stand-by for flood rescues, met the new refugees to the valley. "Most of them consulted LiveTraffic, which is what you're told to do in emergency situations," Mr Hale said. "And they were then advised they could come over Comboyne Mountain into Killabakh to get further south in their travels, but Killabakh itself was flooded in. The Rural Fire Service crew enacted the local emergency management plan and opened the community hall as a shelter for those stranded for the night, which quickly turned into two nights. Speaking in Kempsey on Monday, Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said people needed to be mindful when driving in such challenging conditions. "LiveTraffic doesn't tell anyone to go anywhere," Ms Aitchison said. "Everyone's doing their best but it's a difficult situation because no matter what somebody saw 10 minutes before they went in to update LiveTraffic, it can change in an instant. "It's a challenging situation and I'll be looking at what we can do better next time."
