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construction detour
- a BAD start to the project


In Boral’s haste to block off the canal cycleway with temporary fencing, and to put a bulldozer through a section of the canal, they neglected to do anything about helping the community with a detour around the construction site.

Boral did produce a Cycleway Management Plan that detailed how signs showing routes would be erected. It even had aerial photographs showing where detour signs would be placed.

Since the community was ambushed with the fence, on 28 April 2008, has an alternate route been communicated to the community? Not likely. All we have are four “closure” signs with scant detail.

Take a moment to look at the 3rd page (Cycleway Closure Notice) of the Cycleway Management Plan it contains the information that was supposed to be displayed on signage. Now look at what we got!



Not that the alternate routes are safe or convenient anyway. They involve riding on busy roads or illegally on footpaths.

One of the circuitous alternate routes takes riders into the Nelson's Ridge estate at Pemulway where eventually they are greeted by the following:


Look closely, there actually is a narrow access on the left hand footpath - you may have to turn your handlebars sideways to get through though!

Boral has had years to get this ready. They have been planning since at least 2002 and they quietly obtained NSW Heritage approval to bulldoze the heritage listed canal in 2005. Yet, in all that time they couldn’t let the community know what was happening or signpost an alternate route.

Why would that be? Could it be because Boral knew that their actions in destroying a SAFE cycleway would be unpopular with the community? Why was Boral so quick to destroy the canal and have they actually proceeded with further works in that section given that the recycling plant still requires access at that point.

Boral's Code of Corporate Conduct states:

“Ensuring the impact and integrity of our operations and actions on employees, customers, the communities and environment in which we operate, meet both the spirit and letter of the law and community expectations”.
How does Boral's performance on this issue come close to meeting "community expectations"? or does Boral not take their own "Code of Corporate Conduct" seriously?

If you are not happy with Boral's action you should ring John Imrie (Boral - Senior Development Manager) on 0401 896 871 and enquire why the routes weren't signposted as per Boral's Cycleway Management Plan.

Boral's failure with a simple task such as signage doesn't bode well for a multi-million dollar project. It appears Boral have fallen at the first hurdle.


If you need information on a detour see our detour map page.


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