‘Worst nightmare’ as quarry trucks pound winding road

Residents of a Coast town are living their “worst nightmare” with up to 67 quarry trucks pounding the pavement of their narrow range crossing a day.

Kin Kin residents are concerned about the number of quarry truck movements on their roads.

Residents of a Coast town are living their “worst nightmare” with up to 67 quarry trucks pounding the pavement of their narrow range crossing a day.

Kin Kin Community Group member Anita Poteri said when the community fought against the hard rock quarry operation 10 years ago there were fears of 40 trucks a day, each with two movements through the winding range.

Quarry truck fears at Kin Kin

Kin Kin quarry control fears

“That was actually our worst scenario, well we’re actually getting 67 trucks twice a day,” Ms Poteri said.

“People who are living on that road are having a complete nightmare.

“It’s so noisy it’s like and earthquake, it really is bad and it’s destroying the roads.”

She said surface potholes were being patched up by Main Roads crews but two days later the road depressions were back.

Quarry trucks on the move from Kin Kin.

The quarry traffic situation and the state of the Kin Kin Pomona Rd has drawn the attention of police, Noosa MP Sandy Bolton and Noosa Mayor Clare Stewart who were part of a community meeting with residents.

Concerns raised included the speed of the B-double trucks and them travelling too close together in “convoys”.

Ms Bolton said police would be monitoring the roads closely for any infringements.

Kin Kin quarry operator, the Sunshine Coast-based Cordwells Concrete, said it was planning to work with police and the community to address the concerns.

Ms Poteri said under the previous quarry operator Neilsens, the truck traffic was not as bad as they first thought but under Cordwells, who took over in July last year, the truck volumes had ramped up.

“You have got to go on the other side of the road to get around these massive potholes,” she said.

The Kin Kin public meeting to discuss concerns about quarry trucks with Noosa MP Sandy Bolton, Noosa Mayor Clare Stewart and local police.

“The trucks, when they’re going through the range, they’ve got to go on the other side of the road at certain points.

“We get that the quarry’s there, we weren’t fighting against the quarry, what we were fighting against was the safety of the roads.”

The safety of local school buses using the road and the early start of the truck movements were other concerns.

“They’re starting at like 5.30 in the morning, we’re talking six days a week,” she said of the quarry trucks.

“They’re waking people up.”

Ms Poteri said any near miss incidents captured on dashcam were being forwarded to local police.

Cordwells spokesman Martin Cordwell said his company was working closely with the community and the council to make sure all parties were happy.

These B-doubles are now a common sight on Kin Kin to Pomona Rd.

Mr Cordwell said the aim was to get to a point where everyone felt safe and comfortable with their environment.

“We’re community people, my great granddad started our company back in 1940 and after World War II,” he said.

“We’re a local family business and we’re certainly about local people that’s for sure.

“We’re aware of all the concerns and we’re happy to talk to everyone and work on things to make the environment as best possible.”

Mr Cordwell said major concerns from the community feedback to date were trucks possibly being a little closer together and speed concerns.

“At the end of the day we’re working closely with Pomona police and they’re just fantastic at what they do,” he said.

“They’re working hard at making sure everything is within guidelines, within road rules that’s for sure.

“I’ve spoken to a lot of the people in the community and we re speaking to the council and the mayor closely and the police and transport department.”

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