Gareth Ward and Jamberoo Rd | Ocober 18, 2024 | Illawarra Mercury - video Dailymotion

Illawarra Mercury

Gareth Ward says the Sydney-centric Labor Government doesn't care for the Jamberoo community. Here's Mr Waerd in state parliament. Video supplied

Transcript

00:00I love Jamboree. Its natural beauty is only matched by the depth and warmth of local people.

00:04However, I'm deeply concerned that NSW Labor is neglecting the Jamboree community and I wish to

00:08highlight two examples of where Labor have demonstrated they just don't care about Jamboree

00:12locals. I won't stand by and let our community be ignored by this Sydney-centric Labor government.

00:18The first issue I wish to raise is the decision by Transport for NSW to drop the speed limit from

00:2280 to 60 on Jamboree Road from Jamboree Mountain Road to Terry Street and Albion Park. I call on

00:28Transport for NSW to reverse this change. The consultation on this change was minimal

00:32and inadequate. If there were genuine efforts to find out the views of locals, Transport for

00:37NSW would be in no doubt about how locals feel. I travel this road frequently and I can attest

00:43that dropping the speed limit on this road has made this road more dangerous. Clearly,

00:47the decision to cut the speed limit was made by someone that doesn't live in our community.

00:52Based on the community outrage, I started a petition to reflect the views of locals back

00:56to the department and to the government. To date, I've received 1,625 signatures opposing

01:01this change. Rarely do I receive so many signatures on a petition in such a short time.

01:07For the benefit of the House, I will now read the petition onto the record.

01:11We, the undersigned, call on Transport for NSW and the NSW government to reverse the speed

01:15limit reduction on Jamboree Road from Jamboree Mountain Road at Jamboree to Terry Street in

01:19Albion Park. We call for roadworks, maintenance and design improvements, including a review of

01:24overtaking options, vegetation removal and increased police presence to address safety

01:28concerns, rather than a reduction in the speed limit. We know a reduction in the speed limit

01:32will not deter visitors and frustrated drivers wanting to overtake slower vehicles and this

01:37reduction will potentially result in more speeding fines for locals who use this road daily.

01:44Whilst no one wants to see anyone injured on our roads, it appears this speed change

01:47has come about by a lackadaisical approach to road safety. Rather than investing funds to improve

01:52roads, the government has opted for the lazy option by imposing a punitive approach

01:56on the overwhelming majority of motorists who are competent and drive safely. Like many locals,

02:01I am concerned that this speed zone change will be used as a government revenue raiser,

02:06rather than a genuine attempt to keep road users safe. As a lawyer by profession, I respect

02:11evidence and this has been sadly lacking as an explanation by this government as to why

02:15this change was necessary. I don't know who requested this change and whilst crash data

02:19is available, it is impossible to work out how many of those were attributable to speed.

02:24I have also been inundated with emails from locals and I want to share some of their comments today.

02:29Wayne said this,

02:31This change defies logic as it is not in a built-up area and the road condition is very

02:35acceptable. I don't believe that accident statistics would be able to justify such a

02:40change either as I can hardly remember an accident there since the North Kymer Bypass

02:44was opened. The only reason I could think of this is revenue raising as it is a popular

02:49haunt for mobile speed cameras and with a speed reduction it may prove even more fruitful for

02:53them. John said,

02:56I have been driving from Jamboree to Kymer and Albion Park since 1959. The roads are basically

03:01in the same place as they were then, with the same bends, similar vegetation, but now with a

03:05better road surface. No one asked me and quite a few local residents said they haven't been

03:09contacted either. With the majority of the road prohibiting overtaking and with traffic travelling

03:13at an even slower speed, drivers are going to take risks to overtake a slower vehicle. Reducing

03:18the speed limit to 60kmh both sides of Jamboree for 10km is not going to make the road safer.

03:24It's just a typical Band-Aid solution.

03:28Tony said,

03:29Whilst I have no objection to some reductions in speed limits where absolutely necessary,

03:33I fail to understand why 60kmh or 80kmh seem to be the only option. You could please seek

03:39advice from the Minister as to why there is no option to adopt an intermediate speed of, say,

03:4370km in solutions such as those above.

03:46In the short time I have left, I want to raise the need also for Jamboree Mountain Road

03:50to be made a state road. It previously was a state road until the Carr Labor Government

03:55dropped it on Kymer Council without a cent of compensation. I note NSW Labor raised this issue

04:00at the last election but have done absolutely nothing since coming to government to honour

04:04this commitment to our community. The road is of great significance. It links Kymer to

04:08the Tablelands and is a critical artery for workers, for students and for tourists.

04:13This road is too important and too complex to be the responsibility of a local council and I call

04:18on the NSW Labor Government to honour its campaign pledge and return the road to the NSW road network.

04:25Jamboree residents have been treated very badly by this government and this treatment can't

04:29continue. Let me assure you, Jamboree residents will certainly not forget the way they have been

04:34treated by this government. They are constantly reminded by the changes that are being made

04:38without consultation or without adequate feedback from them,

04:41but I will continue to raise them in this House and with the responsible Minister.

Gareth Ward and Jamberoo Rd | Ocober 18, 2024 | Illawarra Mercury

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