[Extract] The Queensland Department of Main Roads (QDMR)has proposed to implement the Douglas arterial section of the Townsville Ring Road. This includes:
°the realignment and upgrade of University Drive leading towards the new Hospital site between CSIRO Davies Laboratory and James Cook University, including the construction of exit and entry ramps;
°realignment and upgrade of some of the existing Angus Smith Drive where University Drive will merge to it,;
°road construction approximately parallel with the unsealed section of Angus Smith Drive leading from the University entrance towards the Townsville City Council Water Treatment Plant,
°major bridge construction over the Ross River, including the construction of exit and entry ramps, and road realignment and widening of Upper Ross River Road.
The arterial road (refer to Maunsell McIntyre Pty. Ltd. aerial photo mosaic) will serve initially as an access route to south-western Townsville from the Upper Ross and eventually as a Townsville by-pass route via Hervey's Range Road.
In order to meet the requirements of the Review of Environmental Factors(REF) it is vital to identify, describe and assess the environmental advantages, disadvantages and constraints associated with the proposed route. To provide the basis for this assessment, the Australian Centre for Tropical Freshwater Research (ACTFR) was commissioned by Maunsell McIntyre Pty. Ltd. to assess the environmental values of the site with regard to potential impacts of the proposal.
An ACTFR aquatic chemist and ecologist conducted a field survey of the site on June 22, 1999. During this site visit, the proposed route was traversed and an assessment of the site made to document and evaluate the structure and floristic composition of the vegetation, provide an assessment of significance of habitats for fauna and determine the environmental value of water courses crossed by the proposed route.
This report forms the basis of the REF for issues pertaining to flora, fauna and water quality. A REF is intended solely to provide a preliminary assessment of the possible environmental effects of a proposed project to enable a decision to be made as to whether further and more detailed particulars are required prior to commencement of works