A South Australian council is taking bold action to try to stop the dust problem on an unsealed road used by grey nomads and other campers heading to a popular and scenic caravan park.
Yorke Peninsula Council is launching a year-long dust suppression trial following a succession of complaints from local residents about safety and the condition of North Coast Road.
And grey nomads heading to Point Turton Caravan Park from the north will no doubt be chuffed that the chances of dust sneaking into the van through cracks and crevices will be reduced … and visibility will be improved.
For travellers who prefer to stay on the bitumen, there is sealed road access to the stunningly beautiful van park from the south.
Over the last five years traffic has increased along the scenic but unsealed North Coast Road as visitors make their way to caravan parks and the nearby beaches of Hardwicke Bay. The ABC reports that this led to road corrugations which suspended enough dust to clog resident’s gutters and water tanks and coat the interior of houses. Besides the impact on living conditions, some of the road’s 150 residents are worried about the health consequences of breathing the dust, which they believe is silica.
Residents say that in holiday periods, like this month, more than 500 cars use it daily, and that can double on days like New Year’s Day.
The $65,000 dust suppression trial is testing which treatment is most suitable for keeping dust at bay.
Yorke Peninsula Council (YPC) Mayor Darren Braund told the ABC that four kilometres of unsealed road would be monitored.
The first section was graded but left untreated to set a baseline, and the next three road sections were sprayed with increasing amounts of suppressant coating.
“We’re hoping to find out which is the best treatment and maybe extend that to a wider area,” Mr Braund said. “Sealing the road just costs a whole lot of money which we haven’t got unless we get some significant grant funding.”
The long-term goal though is still to seal the road, something the council and residents have spent years been campaigning for.
The ABC reports that a 2019 RAA report on Yorke Peninsula roads recommended North Coast Road be sealed because loose gravel made the road slippery and increased the risk of crashes, particularly in people driving unsuitable vehicles or those with little experience driving on corrugated roads.
• Which roads would you like to see ‘treated’ to reduce dust, or totally sealed? Comment below.
