Euchareena Rd truck capsize prompts wider concerns

Last Friday one of the Euchareena Rd Waste Processing trucks from Orange turned over going around the bend at the top of the hill opposite the Golf Course.

Nothing really spectacular, the driver was fortunately unhurt. The waste trucks are tall and top heavy. The incident however prompted farmers and residents along the route to again express concerns about safety and adequacy of the route to what has always been considered an inappropriate site for a waste dump.

Hopefully a review of the incident will look at the condition of the road including its width and lead to corner improvements. Meanwhile Orange City Council have applied to make changes to the strict conditions imposed in 2012 by Planning NSW on the use of the site.  While in the main they reflect current conditions – submissions to Planning NSW have been made reminding both Planning NSW and Orange City Council that there is no justification for changing any condition that was imposed to manage risks to the Apiary industry.

The Council was reminded that it should not be assumed that there are no bees within 5 kms of the site. While the address of an apiarist’s registered business may be located outside the 5km zone, this has no correlation to where hives are located. A substantial number of hives continue to be consistently located in close proximity to the Euchareena site because of the natural attributes of the locality.

Fires on the site have also caused concern. At a fire in January this year it was necessary to source water off site – the Boomey Fire Brigade truck sourced water from the Molong Creek which was used to help extinguish the fire. Whether this was necessary, or not, is unclear and submissions have called for Orange City Council to meet with members of the local fire brigades (Boomey and Molong and possibly Canobolas Zone) to ensure these matters are more appropriately coordinated and can be responded to far more efficiently than the January incident.