About 600 letters will be sent to landholders across several suburbs as Transport for NSW and contractor John Holland Gamuda Joint Venture take a fresh approach to consultation over the Hunter River rock platform plan for the M1 extension bridge.
The new option comes in the wake of community outcry and concern that the original construction plan could flood nearby properties.
Each letter will outline two construction options - a rock platform up to 180 metres, and 25 metre small rock jetties and large barges - and provide flood levels under both scenarios in a 1 in 5 year flood, a 1 in 10 year flood and a 1 in 20 year flood.
Flood duration data for both construction options across the three flood levels will also be included.
Transport for NSW has shared the draft letter with The Maitland Mercury. The letters will be sent from July 15.
Three extra drop-in sessions have also been added where residents can look at large maps and speak with the project team. The Mercury reported last week that two sessions will be held in Millers Forest.
The change to the consultation process comes after The Mercury highlighted the plight of residents in flood-affected areas - who are worried about higher flood levels and water on roads and farmland for a longer period of time - and Maitland council's push to save the city from devastating flooding.
"Transport for NSW has listened to the concerns expressed by property owners, key stakeholders and the broader community arising from a potential change of construction methodology for a 2.6-kilometre viaduct over the Hunter River at Tarro," the spokeswoman said.
"Following this feedback, we are holding a series of community drop-in sessions where attendees can speak to members of the project team directly and get answers to their questions."
The Mercury previously reported about 140 letters were sent to various property owners with houses in flood-affected areas.
Those letters told them about the plan and started flowing in April. Many residents found a neighbour, or somebody nearby had received one and they had missed out.
NSW Regional Transport and Roads Minister, and Maitland MP, Jenny Aitchison said she was "furious" about the initial consultation process and had "strong conversations" about it with Transport for NSW.
"I have been so furious about where this has gone in the sense of Transport [for NSW] not really going out and explaining the process to the broader community from the get-go. So then this kind of potential for miscommunication happens," she said.
Residents previously told The Mercury the lack of transparency and flood mapping data had left them extremely worried about the platform.
The spokeswoman said the rock platform would only affect suburbs that were listed in the original Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and submissions report. These were created before the overall M1 extension to Raymond Terrace project was approved.
She said those suburbs were "Hexham, Tarro, Beresfield, Woodberry, Tomago, Thornton, Berry Park, Heatherbrae, Millers Forest, Raymond Terrace, Nelson Plains, Kings Hill, Eagleton, East Seaham and Seaham".
She said the rock platform would "not affect any additional suburbs beyond those listed in the approved EIS".
The plan would see a 180 metre rock platform built on the western side of the river at Tarro, upstream of the Hexham Bridge. It would then be removed and a smaller platform on the eastern side would be built to help finish the bridge. This option is being touted as the fastest and the safest for workers.
The spokeswoman said affected property owners would be entitled to assistance, and compensation if the rock platform caused additional flooding.
She said farmland and "habitable structures" were eligible.
Assistance could include "sandbags, electrical outlet relocation, replacement of flood-damaged items or other suitable mitigation measures, as agreed with property owners", she said.
Drop-in sessions will be held at the Millers Forest Popular Hall on July 24 (6-9pm), July 25 (10am-1pm), Raymond Terrace Senior Citizens Hall on July 25 (6-9pm) and July 26 (1pm-4pm) and the John Holland Gamuda site compound on July 27 from 10am until 2pm.
