Alan Deering

14:47 Mayor Wilkie: The first is from Mr Alan Dearing. Mr Dearing would like to come to the lectern to read your questions, which will be answered by Shaun Walsh, the Director of Infrastructure Services.

14:56 Speaker 6: Good morning. Thanks for the opportunity for me to ask these questions. Question one. I bought my property 40 years ago on the eastern end of Crooey Mountain Road. As with most rural roads, it was dirt with minimal traffic. With time and development, roads are sealed with traffic increases. The western end of Crooey Mountain Road is four kilometres sealed. The last two-kilometre section was sealed last century. The last road sealed in Noosa Shire was Dr Page's Road, to a width of 8.5 metres, undertaken by Mayor Noel Playford at a cost of $5.6 million, who set upon opening in 2016 a win for hinterland tourism. He's aspirated by the dust issue, or what seemed to be council policy, of not sealing dirt roads. The three property owners on the 200-metre section between Dath Henderson Road and Tumbacourt offered to pay for that section of road to be sealed by a spray seal application to a width of 7 metres by a licensed and certified contractor. This is the same service and width of most sealed hinterland roads, including the road within the sex, Dath Henderson Road, an 80-kilometre-an-hour road.

16:16 The eastern-most section of road has the most amount of traffic on the road, with nine properties from Tumbacourt, including Noosa Polo, exclusively passing these three properties. The approximate vehicle count is 300 per day, with 20 per cent being heavy vehicles. The response from council is then planning and design, delivery manager Craig Eldridge to our offer was, approving a sealed road at less than nine-metre width on Croy Mountain Road would directly contradict council's endorsed Noosa plan. And while there is some expectation from the residents of Croy Mountain Road to ultimately undertake sealing works for the full length of this road, council is under no obligation to do so, and the traffic data does not support an upgrade at this time. Under the 10-year capital program in 2028-29 years, $1.85 million is budgeted for carriageway widening on the sealed western end of Croy Mountain Road. It definitely seems that there is a Noosa Council policy to not seal dirt roads.

17:34 Noosa is an Inesco Biosphere Reserve, where people strive to live in harmony with nature. I'm appalled that if under the Noosa plan, there is support for nine-metre wide highways to traverse the hinterland. The residents have not been consulted on this issue. They don't want or need highways in the hinterland. What they want is sealed roads that complement the rural nature of why they live there. Narrower roads with traffic calming would suit a biosphere status. A last word for the wildlife. There are too many wildlife vehicle strikes on wildlife as it stands. Some killed instantly. Some injured to die an agonisingly slow death. Why increase the risk for wildlife by constructing racetracks in the hinterland?

18:30 My question. Noosa Council is guided by, and not dictated, by the Australian standards, AusRoads Standards Guidelines. Also, the Department of Main Roads Planning and Design Manual. So the Noosa plan that states that when sealing dirt roads, they must be no less than nine metres, is a Noosa Council initiative. Does Noosa Council agree that any future sealing of dirt roads in the Noosa Shire will be to a minimum width of nine metres?

19:20 Director Walsh: Noosa Council is guided by, but not strictly bound to, professional standards, like the AusRoads Standards and Guidelines, the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads Planning and Design Manual, but also the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia, which is IPWEA, Lower Order Road Design Guidelines. These documents provide best practice frameworks, but local governments like Noosa Council have the autonomy to adopt higher or more tailored standards based on local priorities, environmental considerations, and community expectations. You are correct that the Noosa plan and associated infrastructure policies specifies minimum carriageway and shoulder widths for various road classifications for Noosa Shire. We can vary from these specifications for a specific project requiring engineering justice, to enable Council support. Notably, the IPWEA Lower Order Road Design Guidelines, updated recently in 2024, specifies a sealed carriage width of 5.5 metres when traffic volumes are low, and provides a very good reference to inform any future detailed design for lower order unsealed roads across Noosa Shire. Council can also consider this recently updated document in any future review of the Noosa plan.

20:36 And associated infrastructure policies. Separately, I also note that following various representations from the community, Council has initiated a review of Council's approach to management of unsealed roads, with broader consideration of environmental, community benefit, and traffic safety matters to more fully inform future prioritisation and budget submissions for road sealing, of course subject to Council budget approval. Thank you.

21:08 Speaker 6: Question two.

21:14 I'm not finished yet. Background. Road dust, especially fine particle dust, poses health risks including respiratory issues like asthma, chronic and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks and reduced heart function, with more serious effects from long-term exposure. The developing bodies of children are more vulnerable to air pollutants. Noosa Council states there is between over 170 kilometres and over 200 kilometres of dirt roads, some with heavy traffic use, which creates, especially after the annual re-sheeting has occurred, major dust problems for nearby residents. Noosa Council officers do not seem to comprehend the serious health issues emanating from dust inhalation. In December 2016, Brian O'Connor wrote, while Council sympathises with your concerns regarding dust, this is an unfortunate by-product of gravel roads and not a safety issue. This situation has been exasperated by the dry weather.

22:32 Noosa shired experience over the winter months and should reduce with recent rain. Also in June 25, 2025, he wrote, we strive to minimise dust through regular grading and dust suppression techniques, which help to reduce the amount of loose gravel. He also goes on to give tips for residents, such as planning vegetative screens, utilise water filters to remove pollutants, and build away from areas prone to dust nuisance. Thank you. There is no recognition of dust as a health issue from Noosa Council. Also, the cost of trying to deal with this problem falls on the residents. Grading is not regular and does not alleviate dust. There are no dust suppression techniques applied. Noosa Council failed in their expensive legal action against cord walls to have their trucks removed from the road during school bus hours. Obviously out of concern for safety. There is no such concern from Council of the serious health effects of small particle airborne road dust on children. To my knowledge, there has been only one case of dust at present being used by Noosa Council. It was on the last unsealed section of Dath Henderson Road about 20 years ago.

23:51 It was donated to Council. It worked well. Presumably Noosa Council rates cost over the health of its ratepayers on dirt roads. Thank you. Question.

24:06 Noosa Council employees, such as plant operators, are required to undergo a mandatory silica test every 12 months. Noosa Council recognise the workplace risks of airborne dust, but totally ignore the health risks of airborne dust to rateboats living on dirt roads. Why hasn't Noosa Council addressed the dust issues of the residents living on dirt roads in the short term? Well, I think it's important to show I at least add in dust suppressant in water trucks when annual re-sheeting of dirt roads.

24:39 Mayor Wilkie: Thank you, Mr Dearing. This is Director Walsh.

24:43 Director Walsh: Thank you, Alan, for the question. It's a long answer, so I think it's quite important to put on the public record. And this will be distributed to you, Alan, and it will be part of the Council minutes as well. Thank you. So, in terms of health risk, Council has undertaken a technical assessment of the potential health risks associated with silica dust generated from unsealed gravel roads within the Noosa Council region. It has evaluated the material composition, maintenance practices, and environmental exposure context, referencing applicable standards and research findings. Crystalline silica, which is abbreviation SiO2, primarily in the form of polypropylene quartz, is a naturally occurring mineral found in many geological materials, including sand, clay, and gravel. Respirable crystalline silica, also known as RCS, is a known occupational hazard in industries involving cutting, crushing, or drilling of silica-containing materials. However, the context of road dust from unsealed surfaces, particularly those maintained using natural gravel and recycled asphalt, differs significantly from high-risk occupational environments where RCS, or Respirable Crystalline Silica, may be present.

25:59 Noosa Council maintain their unsealed road networks using natural gravel blends and recycled asphalt pavement. These materials are selected in accordance with the Queensland Department of Transport Main Roads MRT SO5 Unbound Pavements and the AusRoads Guide to Pavement Technology Part 6 Unsealed Pavements. These standards ensure the materials meet performance criteria and the requirements for the use of the materials in the area, such as the California Bearing Ratio, Shrinkage Product and Grading Coefficient, which directly influence dust generation and stability. In terms of health risk exposure, unsealed roads in these regions typically carry low traffic volumes between 30 and 500 vehicles per day. Dust exposure is intermittent, outdoor, and dispersed, significantly reducing concentration compared to enclosed occupational settings. A New Zealand Transport Agency study found that, while there is a significant increase in the risk of dust from unsealed roads in the area, the risk of dust from unsealed roads can be present, respirable silica levels were generally low and not linked to adverse health outcomes in ambient settings. NIOSH evaluations of dirt road maintenance found no aeronite and only occasional silica exceedances, primarily in active roadwork zones, not general public exposure. The Workplace Exposure Standard for RCS, or Respirable Silica, in Australia is 0.05mg per cubic metre for 8 hour TWA ambient exposure from unsealed roads, and is not known to exceed this threshold in South East Queensland.

27:30 Based on current material usage, maintenance practices and environmental exposure conditions, there is minimal to no health risk from silica dust generated by unsealed gravel roads in the Noosa Council region. There is no confirmed evidence of harmful silica dust concentration in these areas, and no recorded public health impacts attributable to road dust. The use of natural gravel and recycled asphalt, combined with routine grading and dust suppression, ensures compliance with the engineering and environmental standards. In terms of testing its workforce, Noosa Council tests the workers that are exposed to respirable crystalline silica , such as concrete cutting, drilling and crushing works, which is approximately 50 workers. Crews working on our unsealed roads, such as grader crews and plant crews, are not tested due to the low risk profile. In terms of dust management for the community, Council's current dust mitigation strategies include routine grading and re-sheeting based on traffic volume and environmental conditions. Use of impervious gravel blends, such as recycled road profiles where possible, and available to reduce water ingress and dust lift off. Community education sheets recommending various practices, including vegetative screening to reduce dust impacts near residences.

28:49 Council has explored the use of dust suppressants, as noted in the question, and can advise as follows. Dust suppression chemical treatments can be used to treat problematic areas, and are commonly used in intensive industrial and mining applications. The treatment is usually only effective for approximately three months, and can make the roads slippery when it rains, as they are commonly hydrophobic and cause water to pond on the surface, causing possible safety issues. These chemicals are powerful and would need to be applied with great prudence, to ensure that the treatment is effective, as could have adverse environmental implications if overused, particularly pertinent in environmentally sensitive areas of Noosa Shire. The high cost of the treatment, short-term benefits, and the need for regular reapplication mean this treatment is cost prohibitive for application in Noosa Shire, which has 200 kilometres of unsealed roads. Thank you.

29:38 Mayor Wilkie: Thank you, Director Wach.