A dual carriageway bypass of Holbrook will improve safety and transport efficiency. An environmental assessment of the benefits and potential impacts of the preferred option was on display for community comment from Wednesday 11 November 2009 to Monday 14 December 2009. The Holbrook bypass is jointly funded by the Australian and NSW governments.

Potential impacts and environmental management

As part of the planning approval process an environmental assessment was prepared and displayed under part 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. The environmental assessment examines the potential impacts of the project during construction and operation and the measures proposed to reduce and manage these impacts.

The assessment focuses on the key issues and for the Holbrook bypass, these include impacts on:

• Flora and fauna
• Aboriginal heritage
• Noise and vibration
• Social and economic
• Traffic and transport
  

Examples of environmental management measures to minimise impacts include:

• Limiting the extent of clearing, revegetating land and implementing erosion and sedimentation controls.
• Maintaining vegetation connectivity and installation of crossing measures for the safe movement of fauna across the highway.
• Landscape and urban design treatments to recognise Holbrook as a 'rest town'.
• Construction of water quality basins and other measures to treat run-off during construction and operation.
• Treatment to reduce noise impacts at selected locations which may include noise mounds, noise walls, low noise road surface or the individual treatment of homes.
• Modification of local roads and property accesses to ensure efficient access to and across the proposed upgrade.

Detailed reports available

The Holbrook Bypass Environmental Assessment, working papers and submissions report are available in the public information section of this website.