The company has called for Gresford Road, King Street and Duke Street in Paterson to be widened leading up to the T-intersection of the three roads.

A sketch of the possible changes shows the roadside moved closer to CBC Bed & Breakfast & Cafe and to the post office.

Car parking spaces on Gresford Road and King Street near the intersection could be lost, with the sketch showing the roadside moving closer to a string of shops.

A Daracon spokeswoman said the site would be surveyed if the changes were given the green light. She also said it would be up to the council and state government to approve the changes to the public roads.

Newcastle firm Seca Solution created the sketch after it conducted a traffic survey of the company’s haulage routes. The report is part of Daracon’s environmental impact statement – an essential document in its bid to secure a five-fold production increase that would see it extract up to 1.5 million tonnes of material each year.

The firm also proposed a turning lane be installed on Clarence Town Road at the intersection of Butterwick Road, and of Brandy Hill Drive, and another to be added on Gresford Road where it meets Dungog Road. 

“This survey identifies upgrades needed on local roads that are already substandard and pose a potential danger to cyclists, motorists and pedestrians from existing road users, regardless of the transport haulage routes,” a Daracon spokeswoman said.

“These issues exist independent of Daracon’s application.”

The spokeswoman said the proposed changes would benefit all road users and Daracon would fund the upgrades and pay for the on-going maintenance. 

“The proposed upgrades and the potential impact of Daracon’s proposal were presented to community groups via the Martins Creek Quarry Community Consultation Committee’s October 2015 meeting,” she said.