From the PS Boards - Flooding re Delivery Times

[2106greencat]

Posting a few C&P's from the Power Seller Board - sorry I know how you all hate C&P, but just letting seller's know freight/postage is being affected again by our wild weather

Dear xxxxxx,

Due to flooding in north-east NSW over the weekend, a number of major towns between Taree and Ballina are currently unserviceable. Please find a service update on the affected towns below.

Freight for most of these towns will be held in Brisbane or Sydney until weather conditions improve and flood waters recede. This is expected to take several days.

Grafton: Due to flooding on the Pacific Highway, freight from Brisbane and Sydney is currently not able to reach Grafton.

Lismore: Freight into Lismore will arrive as scheduled. Some outlying areas are unserviceable due to localised flooding.

Port Macquarie: Most businesses in the Kempsey CBD and surrounding areas are closed due to flooding over the weekend. Limited deliveries will be conducted in Kempsey. No freight has arrived from Brisbane due to flooding on the Pacific Highway, north of Grafton. It will be business as usual for all other areas serviced from Port Macquarie.

Coffs Harbour: Road line-haul from Sydney ran as normal on Saturday morning. Freight from Sydney that arrived by air has been stopped during delivery at Port Macquarie due to flooding on the Pacific Highway at Clybucca. No freight has been received from Brisbane due to flooding on the Pacific Highway, north of Grafton. South West Rocks has been isolated by flooding and will not be serviced.

Taree: No freight has arrived from Brisbane due to flooding on the Pacific Highway, north of Grafton.

[2106greencat]

I get daily updates from our freight company so I will post the one I receive on Fiday here for you arnl - I think as brothers said some roads are clearing now, and alternative routes are usually advised as well so will let you know.

[arnl7178]

Thank you cat, that would be great.

We're planning on traveling via the Pacific Hwy all the way. We'll go around though if we have to. Anything to just "get there".

[viewmont1071]

We started getting our mail that is sorted through  the Kempsey sorting centre yesterday. I thought that the Macksville Post office may have exploded Tuesday afternoon due to the amount of mail stored in there.

The articles that were posted last Friday were picked up with the letters I posted yesterday so in essence the mail for the Mid North Coast or that was supposed to travel along the pacific highway between Taree and the border on its trip is generally about 4 days slower than usual.

escorts and deviations are still in place to use the South West rocks road just south of Kempsey Bridge and then to use the bridge at Smithtown to cross the river. Escorts are still in place after that to Clybucca

[viewmont1071]

Taken Monday morning......just to show you how your tax dollars are duplicating the pacific highway. This is the new bridge at Kempsey and @ 3.2 kms long it is now the longest bridge in Australia.... The bridge is not yet open

.... how about this for irony.... 

we were going over to walk the length of the new flood free route on Saturday but we couldnt because both ends were and still are....flooded

Kempsey river is normally about 200 metres wide.. when this was taken the water stretched about 5kms past the trees in the background

[viewmont1071]

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/newsevents/news_ministerial/2013/130211-walk-across-australias-longest-bridge.html

11 February 2013

Opportunity to Walk Across Australia's Longest Bridge

Locals from across the Mid North Coast are being invited to the celebrations on Sunday, 24 February to see firsthand the new Kempsey Bypass before it opens to traffic in March, more than 12 months ahead of schedule.

Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said the opening of the Bypass in time for the Easter holidays will be another major step forward in the ongoing upgrade and duplication of the Pacific Highway.

“The new Bypass will also transform the towns of Kempsey and Frederickton, taking up to 2,000 trucks a day off their local streets and making them even better places to live and raise a family,” said Mr Albanese.

“Amongst the festivities being organised for the Open Day, community members will have a unique opportunity to walk across what is now Australia's longest bridge, stretching some 3.2 kilometre over the Macleay River and nearby floodplains.”

Construction of the $618 million, 14.5 kilometre Kempsey Bypass was fully Federal funded. NSW Roads and Ports Minister Duncan Gay said free shuttle buses will transport people to the Open Day as the site will not be accessible by private vehicles or on foot.

“Beginning at 9am and running until midday, the Open Day will feature bus tours, local music, a sausage sizzle and children's entertainment, including face painting and a visit from Prime Possum,” said Mr Gay.

[arnl7178]

Oh dear. That does not look good at all.

Even if we do get through, so much for lovely scenery along the way. *sigh*

[2106greencat]

Dear Katrina,

Flood conditions throughout northern New South Wales have improved and services have returned to normal with the exception of Taree and Port Macquarie, which remain inaccessible from the north. As a result, freight from Queensland to these regions will continue to be delayed by one day.

In Queensland, some regions north of Brisbane continue to be affected by localised flooding. All major highways re-opened yesterday, allowing vehicles to depart Brisbane. Every effort is being made to clear the backlog of freight as quickly as possible.

In Western Australia, Cyclone Rusty weakened as it reached the coast. As a result, north-west WA is now serviceable. We will clear the backlog of freight for this region as quickly as possible. Some areas of the Pilbara and Kimberley regions remain inaccessible due to localised flooding.

In addition, a bushfire 120km east of Perth has resulted in delays for approximately 25 per cent of our line-haul vehicles despatched from Melbourne and Sydney on Tuesday, 26 February. These vehicles will not arrive in Perth this morning as scheduled. Further updates will be provided as information on the situation becomes available.

For weather warnings, please visit www.bom.gov.au

For information on road and traffic changes, please visit http://livetraffic.rta.nsw.gov.au for NSW, and http://131940.qld.gov.au/ for Queensland.

For freight currently in our network, customers are encouraged to use our online track and trace system or call 13 2345 for up-to-date consignment information.

[arnl7178]

Thanks for those links Greencat.

I've been trying to keep a close eye on what's going on up there, and it seems we'll get through without too much hiccup. I just hope it doesn't rain our entire holiday.

Ahh well, can't stop mother nature I guess.

[2106greencat]

Good Luck and Good Holiday - you should be fine, it has actually stopped raining here for now so fingers crossed for you. Safe Trip 😄

[judyztreasurez]

It has been raining all last night and all today in Port Macquarie. I don't think it will ever end! *sigh*

What a strange country we are. We are either in draught, on fire or flooding...