Mail centre row simmers
THE message from the council to Australia Post is clear, but it keeps being returned to sender.
The council has again asked the postal service to move their controversial North Rockhampton mail-sorting centre after negotiations between the bodies fell through.
Deputy Mayor Tony Williams said residents living near the centre, on the corner of Elphinstone and Musgrave streets, were frustrated by noisy B-double freight trucks going back and forth at "all hours of the day and night".
It has prompted the neighbourhood to create a petition.
The council's move to have the B-doubles access the centre only by way of main thoroughfare Musgrave St was not approved by the Department of Transport and Main Roads, which is in charge of the government road.
The department stated it would be unsafe as the trucks would be forced to turn on the inside lane.
Instead the trucks access the centre along Elphinstone St, through a quiet residential area.
Australia Post indicated to the council it could break down the loads from B-doubles to other semi-trailers and smaller trucks, but it would mean more traffic for the area.
Cr Williams said locals were frustrated by the Federal Government-owned organisation's decision not to comply with regular business standards.
Yesterday the council approved the renewal of the postal service's permit to travel on Elphinstone St, otherwise the B-doubles would not be able to get into the centre at all.
The council limited the permit to between 7am and 11pm Monday to Sunday and changed it from an annual to a six-monthly permit.
But they advised the service that the council would not consider a further extension unless "substantial progress" was made in reducing noise and light impacts.
Australia Post maintained it had re-routed trucks in an effort to reduce lighting and noise problems for the neighbourhood.
Mayor Margaret Strelow said she raised the matter with Senator Barnaby Joyce when he was in Rockhampton on Saturday.
When queried how much power the council had when the six-month period ended, Cr Strelow admitted "just lots of swift talking and coercion".
