Oakman Submission

For the Attention of Mr Mark Iles,

Re proposed Clover leaf intersection, lower Baghdad valley.

Dear Sir,

The proposed clover leaf intersection would appear to have been planned from the air and not in simpatico with this area of critical heritage value to the State of Tasmania and Colonial Architecture of Australia. Iconic heritage landmarks –listed on the Australian Heritage Commission’s register of the National Estate (both national and local) and the National Trust Heritage Places list will have their scale, borrowed landscape prior relationship of road and original planning intent lost. The beautiful small town of Pontville, with its cresting of St Marks Anglican Church and Graveyard, The Sheiling, the iconic Shene Stables, Marlbrook, Oakwood and Wybra Hall – are all very close to the proposed outlet of the clover lead junction and will be forever ruined in their context by this roadwork.

Colonial sites are made from the material of the area, and have an interrelated scale. The ‘opening up’ of views, and farmland use of the midlands begins at this very area. This is an area of outstanding Australian importance and is the very reason for European settlement. It was also the hottest area of fighting with the native population as it was the traditional breadbasket of the State.

NSW has all but lost it’s series of small towns on the outer edges of Sydney to vast American style roadworks. The visual spaces and landscapes are critical to the reading of Tasmania and are not lost. Similarly, the ongoing use, enjoyment and conservation of these places depends on them being in a sympathetic environment. In reality – you could not have a worse interaction for Tasmania’s heritage to visitors.

Many of my clients have commissioned good works on these affected properties over the past decade – work of conservation, ongoing use, restoration and addition of land to maintain the integrity of the place. This work, by intelligent and well informed owners, is laughed at in the most heavy handed way possible by this dreary road proposal.

Please reconsider that the current needs of the road are in this proposal, vastly overscaled, that traditional relationships and uses of the highway are completely lost and there is no sense of contextual planning or continuity. The landscape and integrity of this seminally important part of Tasmania’s Colonial buildings and landscape will be lost forever. It requires a more thoughtful solution.

Yours Sincerely
Warwick Oakman. B. Des. (Hons).
Architectural Historian and Heritage Consultant.
62 Sandy Bay Rd. Battery Pt. TASMANIA 7004.

Townsend Submission

Dear Mr Iles,

I am writing to express my extreme concern at the proposed 'clover leaf' junction near Pontville.

I am a resident of the Southern Midlands and have for some time pursued research into the history of the area. The proposed site of the clover leaf would, to my mind, represent one of the most insensitive locations possible for such a development. As is already well known, the area of the Jordan River valley and Bagdad Plains are rich in Aboriginal cultural heritage. Also, the section of original midlands highway which would be most adversely affected is rich in early European settlement heritage, with substantial heritage listed properties such as Brooksby, Woodburn, Shene, Sayes Court and Oakwood all in the near vicinity.Indeed, the importance of this precinct is explicitly recognised by the Southern Midlands Council in its designation of this area as a single heritage precinct.

I would point out that the heritage values of this precinct lie not only in the individual properties, but in the groupings along the old midlands highway and the associated cultural landscape heritage. This area represents one of the earliest corridors of European settlement in Van Diemen's Land, and its value is greatly enhanced by the surrounding paddocks and fields, many of which reflect to this day, in their shape and enclosure by remnant hawthorn hedges, the earliest developments in agriculture and pastoralism by European settlers.

Whilst I recognise the need for development, and indeed the pressing need for a bypass (I use this road myself almost daily), I do not feel that such development should come at the cost of destroying the heritage values of such an important area. I do not mean to say that development of this area should be interdicted; rather, that it should be very carefully considered in the light of the known heritage value of the area. And if this approach is to be taken, it is difficult to see how such an imposing and visually offensive structure could possibly fulfill those conditions.

In addition to this, I would point out that a great many people, over a great many years, have worked extremely hard to develop the tourism potential of the 'Heritage Highway'. There can be little doubt that in the coming years, Tasmania's economy will come to rely more and more on tourism. With this being the case, there can be no justification for ill considered planning decisions that seriously mar the very values we are trying to promote.

I would also point out that the proposed clover leaf, in its very near vicinity to the Shene stables, would have a very adverse impact on that place. These stables are a unique colonial structure, and a recognised landmark for generations of Tasmanians. The utter inappropriateness of placing such a large, modern structure so close to this unique building is beyond my capacity to express.

In closing, I would ask that you consider the above when decisions are being made, not only about the proposed clover leaf, but about any changes in the development of the bypass in this area.

Yours sincerely
Alan Townsend
P.O. Box 59
Kempton 7030

Kernke Submission

In reference to the public meeting and display at the Bagdad Community Hall on Tuesday 6 July regarding the Bagdad Bypass.

My comments regarding realignment proposals 1 and 2 are as follows:
In relation to the proposed realignment of the Bagdad Bypass, I am concerned that the "Alignment 2" proposal will have a detrimental effect upon the heritage values of the Bagdad Valley and that it will destroy valuable sections of agricultural land. The entire Bagdad Valley is rich in heritage and has inherent world wide tourism potential. It would be extremely shortsighted not to preserve the integrity of this valley for the future benefit of all Australians.

In relation to the invitation for comments regarding the proposed "clover leaf" and link to the Bypass at Pontville, I comment as follows:

The proposed "clover leaf" junction should not be developed for a number of reasons including, but not limited to:

The development would have a detrimental effect upon the heritage values of this section of the lower Bagdad Valley - visual, noise and degradation of the cultural landscape. The Bagdad Valley has an important place in the early development of Australia and its integrity should be preserved for future generations;

• The proposal does not respect the Register of the National Estate Listed "Shene and Homestead Blocks" (heritage place ID 16849) and "Shene Stables" (heritage place ID 10862);
• The proposal does not respect the heritage values of the immediate Heritage Mile Precinct at the gateway to the Southern Midlands Council area;
• The development of a "clover leaf" junction estimated to stand at least 8 metres high and to cover a large section of the valley floor in the lower Bagdad Valley will result in the pointless degradation of this section of the Bagdad Valley - a place rich in Aboriginal and early European history, a place of picturesque landscapes recorded by renown artists John Glover, who once lived in close proximity to this area and Mary Morton Allport who depicted Shene Stables in a painting with the lower Bagdad Valley and Mount Wellington as a back drop;
• The section of the Bagdad Valley planned for the "clover leaf" is low lying and prone to heavy fog and severe ice conditions during the winter months. On Friday 2 July 2010, like many other winter days, we recorded a temperature of minus 4 degrees at Shene with resultant heavy frost and ice . We also had a heavy fog which lasted until after 10:00 am. Because of the fog, heavy frost and ice remained on the ground until quite late in the day. We have recorded temperatures of up to minus 7 degrees here at Shene but I am sure that there have been colder mornings. Year to date our coldest recorded temperature was on the 23 May 2010 at minus 6 degrees. The point being that this part of the world is subject to severe frost and icy conditions and heavy fog. The area proposed for the " clover leaf" is even lower than Shene homestead and would be colder and more fog affected. Not a good location for a proposed junction of ingress and egress roads with a four lane highway as this would create a very dangerous situation with merging traffic - poor visibility due to heavy fog and slippery road conditions due to ice . Refer to the attached photograph shown as DSC01236.JPG. This was taken at a little after 9:00 am on Friday morning 2 July 2010 from Winton Hill, on the western side of the Midlands Highway opposite Shene Road, looking down into the Lower Bagdad Valley and to the site of the proposed "clover leaf" junction. Note the frost in the foreground of the photograph.
  

I am not sure of the exact distance, however, within approximately 2 to 4 kilometres of the Pontville site at Tea Tree Road, Brighton, ingress and egress roads to the proposed new Midlands Highway are currently being developed. Given the disadvantages associated with the location of the Pontville site and its inherent dangers, as detailed above, and the likely negative effect upon traffic flow along the proposed new Midlands Highway due to the close proximity of the proposed Pontville " clover leaf" junction with Tea Tree Road, surely there would be no need for the development of the additional ingress and egress point proposed near Pontville.
The proposal is not warranted (cost factor verses usage). Based on advice provided on the day we believe the cost to develop this proposed clover leaf is likely to be in the range of $10,000,000 to $20,000,000.

I feel very strongly about the proposal to develop a "clover leaf" junction in the lower Bagdad Valley, Pontville area and will seek meetings with the Premier of Tasmania and the relevant Federal Government Minister to express my concerns and to seek a better outcome for Tasmanian's and fellow Australians.

Please call if you would like to discuss this email.


Kind Regards,
David Kernke
Shene
76 Shene Road
Pontville. TAS 7030

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Key Links

Govt. & Information Sites:

• Dept. of Infrastructure, Energy & Resources Bagdad Bypass Proposal– Click Here
• Federal Govt. Bagdad Bypass – Planning & Map – Click Here
• Brighton Bypass – Click Here
• Southern Transport Investment Program – Click Here

News Links

• Bagdad bypass begins – Posted July 5, 2010 09:00:00 ABC
• Media Release: Bagdad Bypass planning well underway
• The Mercury: Road's heritage bypass – July 05, 2010
  

The Midlands Community Network

The Midlands Community Network is a network residents and property owners in Tasmania’s Southern Midland dedicated to preserving the heritage values of the cultural landscape impacted upon by the Bagdad Bypass Project. People interested in the preservation of the Midlands heritage values are encouraged to make their concerns known to their Local, State & Federal Govt. representatives and also, to contact the network.

To contact the project Coordinator email David.Kernke@cbre.com.au