The mountain is falling off on Waterfall! Way due to traffic overloading

"The road is a key tourism and agricultural route between north-west NSW and the coast, vital for the transport of livestock, dairy and produce over the Great Dividing Range...We've had 150 tonnes coming down over the initial 50 tonnes of material that fell."
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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-29/farmers-call-long-term-solution-waterfall-way-landslide/106257220

Landslide susceptibility near highways is increased by 1 order of magnitude in the Andes of southern Ecuador, Loja province
"Mountain roads in developing countries are known to increase landslide occurrence due to often inadequate drainage systems and mechanical destabilization of hillslopes by undercutting and overloading." >>
https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/15/45/2015/nhess-15-45-2015.html

#roads #landslides #slopes #traffic #trucks #waterfalls #mountains #Dorrigo #MidNorthCoast #NSW #tourism #FossilFuels #climate #WaterFallWay

Replacing native birds with an invasive species of birds

"The Invasive Species Council has raised concern about the spread of the Indian myna in country Australia. When Indian mynas move into an area they force native birds out of their wood hollows and kill their chicks, leading to a decline in native bird numbers."

"People in rural areas are seeing them spread along the highways...They like well-manicured gardens, they like grass and lots of places they can sit. So planting native trees is something people can do to help our native birds out."

Any council actions in Bellingen and Sawtell?
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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-31/indian-myna-spread-rural-australia-invasive-species-council/103404894
#birds #NativeBirds #InvasiveSpecies #NSW #Bellingen #Sawtell #WaterfallWay #ChurchSt #HydeSt #roads #impacts #BellingenShire #monoculture #landscapes

The end of the road trip?

The culture of 'the drive' requires sisyphean road maintenance, especially in a climate emergency.

Mobile sprawl as a form of 'recreation' eliminates the landscape. It is the annihilation of space and time. Motorists want to get from their door to the spectacle in the fastest way possible. The 'in-between space' viewed through the car window vanishes.

The pleasure cruise from A to B does not just degrade the landscape, but also eradicates possibilities of a livable planet. The overuse by the masses in their fossil fuel boxes makes the hillsides crumble, leads to landslides and erosion. After flash flooding, drought and heatwaves the roads have to be rebuilt over and over again.

Here are three cases of 'scenic drives':
California, Victoria and NSW

Extreme weather is changing California. These road trips show how
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/dec/28/climate-extremes-california-road-trip

Climate Risk : The Path Ahead for the Great Ocean Road
Unsustainable Tourism
https://www.earlywarningnetwork.com.au/news/the-path-ahead-for-the-great-ocean-road

Waterfall Way scenic drive, NSW
https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/driving-routes/waterfall-way-scenic-drive
Why is the road called Waterfall Way ?
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-15/waterfall-way-in-dorrigo-coffs-harbour-wet-weather-nsw/12986532

#TheDrive #Cars #roads #ScenicDrive #vehicles #MobileSprawl #tourism #FossilFuels #hazards #RoadTrips #culture #So50s #BigAuto #MobilityDesign #dromology #speed #GreatOceanRoad #WaterfallWay #Dorrigo #NSW #GlenifferRoad #landscapes #erosion #RockFall #FlashFlooding #ClimateCrisis

Bushfires and the 15-kilometre traffic jam
Dangerous fires and bottlenecks when fleeing bushfires

"There will be people caught in their cars, trying to get out of the area...When wildfires tore through the county of Maui in Hawaii earlier this month, leaving more than 100 people dead, some whom perished in their cars on the gridlocked road out of the town."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-25/wollondilly-residents-road-upgrades-bushfire-traffic-bottleneck/102776522
#planning #sprawl #ExitRoutes #FossilFuel #bushfires #risks #cars #traffic #roads #gridlocked #Bellingen #WaterfallWay

Redesigning roads and intersections to put humans first – The Bellingen case

Bellingen just 'upgraded' Gleniffer Road (The $5.2M “gate way to the Promised Land”) and North Bank Road. Both put fossil fuel vehicles first and forgot emission free mobility for people.
But cyclists and foot traffic deserve the same direct routes that motorists have. Elsewhere they rethink transport planning to promote safer cycling and walking options. Another missed opportunity to put Bellingen on the map for pollution free country cruising.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-29/pushing-bikes-in-the-car-capital/102659800
#Bellingen #PromisedLand #traffic #GlenifferRoad #WaterfallWay #NorthBankRoad #Roads #RoadUpgrades #FossilFuel #Infrastructure #tourism #network #so50s #cars #addiction #Ebikes #cycling #CyclePaths #Climate

More roads will bring more #FossilFuel tourists.
Imagine being on the Waterfall Way Scenic #Drive in #Bellingen and you cannot charge your electric vehicle.

“The 185 kilometre Waterfall Way scenic drive links Coffs harbour and Armidale, passing rainforest, river valleys and waterfalls, including New England and #Dorrigo National Parks”.
https://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/north-coast/coffs-harbour-area/bellingen/attractions/waterfall-way-scenic-drive

“Popular getaway towns reliant on #tourism are struggling to deal with a surge in visitors driving electric vehicles. Businesses rush to install electric vehicle charging to keep tourists coming back. "Imagine showing up in a #petrol car and you had to wait an hour and a half to fill up your car. You just wouldn't do it.”
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-26/businesses-rush-to-install-electric-vehicle-charging/102246716

The 'upgrade' for petrol drivers: "Gleniffer Road provides access between Gleniffer and Bellingen as well as access to the popular #TouristDestination of the #PromisedLand and the #NeverNeverRiver. #GlenifferRoad is also a key #detour route to the Dorrigo Plateau when Waterfall Way is closed."
https://www.bellingen.nsw.gov.au/Services/Major-Projects-Capital-Works/Major-Projects-RoadBridge-works/Roads/Gleniffer-Road
#Energy #FossilFuel #Cars #Roads #50sEngineering #EV #Access #WaterfallWay #ScenicDrive #Climate

#Weeds use roadsides as gateways of entry
https://ethz.ch/en/news-and-events/eth-news/news/2023/01/alien-plant-species-are-spreading-rapidly-in-mountainous-areas.html

"Our results show that mountain environments are becoming increasingly exposed to biological invasions, emphasizing the need to monitor and prevent potential biosecurity issues emerging in high-elevation ecosystems"
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-022-01979-6

Human impacts on Dorrigo #Rainforest
https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/~/media/7207ECB984334D8586C844058203FE3E.ashx

#Mountain #Roads #Biodiversity non-native #Plants #Neophytes #Anthropogenic #Disturbances #Dorrigo Escarpment #Construction #MountainRoad #WaterfallWay #Bellingen #TouristRoute #Impact