Between five and ten protesters remain camped at the Bulahdelah Aboriginal Tent embassy established in February this year. Some even take turns to sleep on a platform suspended near the top of the guardian tree – one of the sites of indigenous cultural significance they are trying to protect.

NRMA criticism comes in the form of a new report which calculates for the first time the economic and social impact of delays in improving key sections of road between Hexham and the Queensland border.

The NRMA report, titled 20 Years On: Pacific Highway Upgrade Only Half Complete estimates delays in upgrading key sections of the Pacific Highway between Newcastle and Bulahdelah cost $2.8 million in human suffering, lost productivity and property damage.

The name of the report refers to the impending 20th anniversary of the December 1989 Kempsey coach crash which killed 35 people.

But the RTA says it has moved ahead with the Bulahdelah bypass, conducting clearing for the relocation of powerlines and recently inviting tenders for the main construction they say will start in early 2010.

And the authority denies protesters’ claims that the chosen route to the east of Bulahdelah on the slopes of The Alum Mountain was a foregone conclusion and that public consultation was limited and with a select few.

“The RTA recognises that a number of individuals have different views about the approved route. The RTA will continue to respect the different views in a sensitive way while it moves forward with building for the Bulahdelah upgrade.

“The RTA has carried out extensive investigations and consultation to select a preferred route for the Bulahdelah upgrade project. During this time, the community was invited to comment on all of the route options being considered,” an RTA spokesperson responded in writing to Advocate questions.