Alan Deering

22:53 Mayor Wilkie: The first is an application from Mr. Alan Dearing. Alan, if you'd like to come to the lectern, please. Thank you. Yes.

23:01 Speaker 5: Good afternoon. It's a background question. I'll keep it brief to 150 words, because council has changed it from 300 words to 150. Now, the response to my public question of the 18th of September this year concentrated on silica dust and the workplace exposure standard. Residential homes on dirt roads are not workplaces, should not be compared. Workplaces have exhausts and filters to deal with dust, and the standard is eight hours, five days a week. Residents don't have the luxury of exhausts and filters for the standard. For some residents, it would be 24 hours, seven days a week. Silica is not the only ingredient of road dust that can cause health issues. It may also contain aluminium, calcium, iron, titanium, and magnesium. As stated in the response from Shaun Walsh, in terms of health risks, council has undertaken a technical assessment of the potential health risks associated with silica dust generated from unsealed roads. If the ratepayers have paid for a technical assessment, it should be released to ratepayers. Now, the question. In answer to my public question of the 18th of September this year, part of the response was, based on current material usage, maintenance practices, and environmental exposure conditions, there is minimal to no health risk from silica dust generated by unsealed roads.

24:34 There is no confirmed evidence of harmful silica dust concentrations in these areas, and no recorded public health impacts attributable to road dust. As a 40-year property owner on Croy Mountain Road, I have concerns about the health effects of long-term exposure to fine particle road dust for myself, and especially on my partner, who occasionally has nosebleeds at times of severe dust-covering conditions. I would like to ask the council to confirm that there are no health impacts from road dust. Does Noosa Council confirm that there are no health impacts from road dust?

25:12 Mayor Wilkie: Thank you, Alan. Your questions will be answered by Shaun Walsh, Director of Infrastructure Services.

25:23 Director Walsh: Does that work? Is that okay? Thank you. Thank you for the question. In terms of health risk exposure from dust on unsealed roads, there are no health impacts from road dust. Council can advise that unsealed roads in these regions typically carry low traffic volumes, between 30 and 500 metres a day. Dust exposure is intermittent, outdoor and dispersed, significantly reducing concentration of infected and closed-occupation centres. A New Zealand Transport Agency study found that while particles with a diameter of 10 micrometres or less of dust from unsealed roads can be present, respirable silica levels are generally below and not linked to adverse health outcomes in ambient settings. The National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety and Health Evaluations of Dirt Road Maintenance found no aeronite and only occasional silica incidences, primarily in active roadwork zones and not general public exposure. The workplace exposure standard for recyclable crystalline silica in Australia is 0.05 milligrams per cubic metre on an eight-hour time-weighted average. Ambient exposure from unsealed roads is not known to exceed this threshold in South East Queensland. 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.

26:40 There is no confirmed evidence of harmful silica dust concentrations 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 engineering and environmental standards. Council has also sought further advice from Queensland Health about the topic, but unfortunately have not received a reply by this meeting.

27:06 Mayor Wilkie: Mr Deering, would you like to ask your second question, please?

27:15 Speaker 5: Back round to the question. The dirt section of Croy Mountain Road has been assessed by a qualified road engineer, and then the report found deficiencies and a clear risk of crashes. This is due to the fact that the dirt section of Croy Mountain Road has been assessed by the Noosa Council and other safety hazards. There has not been an assessment released by Noosa Council on the same section of road, therefore not disputing the dangerous assessment of this section of road. Croy Mountain Road is a through road that is sealed to 65% of its length at the western end. The last sealing was 26 years ago, and the eastern end carries more traffic. Roadpayers have offered to seal sections of the road to a width of 7 metres, but Council has refused to do so. Under the Noosa Plan, it must be to a width of 9 metres. In the 10-year capital program 25 to 34, under sealing of unsealed roads, there is no money budgeted for the sealing of dirt roads until 2032, that being 1.5 million. The question is, overall it seems that Noosa Council has a policy of not sealing dirt roads, and if residents offer to seal sections at their expense, will they be able to do Council will make that impossible to achieve.

28:30 Besides the sealing of the $5.6 million Dr Page's Road Upgrade in 2016, the former man I'll play would call a win for hinterland tourism, in Noosa Shire, what dirt roads in Croy Land have been sealed since the amalgamation?

28:48 Director Walsh: Thank you for the question. Council has undertaken the following road sealing program since the amalgamation. In 2012, the road was sealed. In 2015-2016, Dr Page's Road, McKinnon Creek Road, Kitharraba, 5.6 kilometres in length, as you have referenced. 2018-2019, Donnelly's Road, Bridgewood, to 800 metres length. 2019-20, Ty Road, Boring Point, 200 metres length. 2019-20, Ambulance Street, Pomona, 100 metres length. 2021-22, Tablelands Road, Coran, Bridge Approaches, 150 metres length. Council has recently asked for a review of its Road Sealing Priority Program and consideration of a budget allocation for the 26-27 budget for its further consideration.

29:39 Mayor Wilkie: Thank you, Mr Kieran.