COUNCIL WATCH Politicians taking the scenic route towards progress
IN March this year, Mayor Ben Shields issued a mayoral minute on the preferred option for location of the third bridge for Dubbo. At the time, he recommended that Council thank the State Government for its willingness to commit to funding major transport infrastructure in the region, and that Council officially recommit to the former Dubbo City Council’s Dubbo Road Transportation Strategy to 2045 (2012), that includes the Newell Highway ring road as its preferred location for the third bridge to manage future traffic growth.
In May, he called on the State Government to fund Dubbo’s western ring road in the budget, stating Dubbo’s long-term growth as dependent on transport accessibility. He also shared concerns that allocation of $144 million to a third bridge at River Street would limit chances of a ring road.
Dubbo Photo News conducted an online poll asking readers for their opinions on the matter. Here is what was said: Katie Hall: End of Tamworth St over the river to west, cars only. Warrick Wheeler: Coming across the river from West Dubbo near Margaret Crescent would be better. Options to Hennessy Rd to the south and any number of right hand turn options heading back north toward Macquarie Street. Diluted traffic flow!
Cameron Humphries: Yes, but they’re all going to the same place at 8:30am and 3:00pm – the schools on Sheraton Road.
“Eventually they have to get back onto Cobra Street or they need to take Hennessy Lane around to Sheraton Road behind JETGO Australia Holdings Pty Limited will shut down following Supreme Court proceedings which favoured Dubbo Regional Council which sought significant outstanding fees. With the absence of any realistic proposal for payment, the outcome of the hearing was the wind-up of the company with Sule Arnatovic, of Jirsch Sutherland appointed as liquidator.
Dubbo Regional Council had made the application to Court prior to the Jetgo directors appointing voluntary administrators.
Dubbo’s application was based on significant outstanding fees owing by Jetgo to the Council.
This action was further validated by the creditor’s report released on June 29, which concluded that South Lakes. Or they bring them up Boundary Road on a two-lane road. With a bottleneck at the Fitzroy St intersection and another school, that would be another nightmare.
Warrick Wheeler: It makes a whole lot of sense for those of us who live on the west side of the river to divert an amount of traffic away from the Newell/mitchel intersection in West.
The only way is to disperse the load through South Dubbo.
“What result do you think a survey of those who object to a bridge from West to South would show if we included addresses in the result? I’ll answer that for you. The majority of those who object would be living in South Dubbo streets that would see an increase in traffic twice per day.
Cameron Humphries: Do you think a bridge in North Dubbo is a soft option? That is to say that the DRC are too scared to take on the uproar that would come from the South Dubbo ratepayers if they made the sensible decision to cross the river south of the LH Ford bridge?
Warrick Wheeler: The River St Bridge solves nothing. There seems to be reluctance to have a two lane highway through town. Make Cobra, Victoria and Whylandra dual lanes each direction with no parking before 9:30 am and from 2:30 to 4pm. But we still have the single lane LH Ford. There’s no simple solution, unfortunately.
Cameron Humphries: Those dual lane roads make 100 per cent sense. Taking the emotion away though, with the right planning, a river crossing to Hennessy Rd is the best option for Dubbo as a whole.
Margaret Hislop: Minore Rd through to Tamworth Street.
Steven Gower: A road/bridge from the Obley Road/newell Highway junction to Macquarie
Moduplay is the most popular concept for Wahroonga Park. Far right: Imagination Play, the people’s favourite concept for Algona Park. PHOTOS: SUPPLIED.
Jetgo was hopelessly insolvent and that Jetgo’s business had failed because of poor strategic management of cash flow, and inability to generate cash flow to pay its debts.
The administrators ceased all Jetgo trading following their appointment.
In a media statement, Dubbo Regional Council stated that the legal action was in the best interests of the community and that the organisation will continue to focus on stabilising airline services for the region. TWO online polls seeking feedback on upgrades to two local Street/hennessy Road.
Anne Woolaston: Minore Road to Tamworth Street if I have to choose out of these options then the ring road, as it would possibly remove some trucks but not the congestion at Whylandra Street roundabout.
Danny Williams: Anything would be better than wasting money on the River St Bridge. Traffic in west Dubbo should be more of a priority. It’s ridiculous morning and afternoon.”
Matt Wright: Dubbo Council’s 2036 Transport Strategy was initially developed in 2009. Worth a read for all those interested. Note the plans for a Tamworth Street bridge even back then to help alleviate forecast local traffic issues. (online reference provided)
Shane Clarke: Either Tamworth Street bridge or the old railway bridge at the end of Macquarie Street. Yes, it would upset some people in south. So we hold off on the advancement of Dubbo infrastructure because people might get some more traffic in their area.
Sorry people – Dubbo is a city not a village. I would have preferred the bridge in Myall Street then I could tear down my home and build a shop. As for trucks in the CBD, how many trucks do you see driving down the CBD apart from ones filling your supermarkets up?
A ring road would be ridiculous. Trucks are already on strict timeframes let alone making them go 30 minutes to an hour out of their way. Why not have two bridges?
Dale Albus Elliott: Duplicate the LH Ford Bridge – I thought that was happening? The roundabout near Bunnings is shocking, especially at 8-8:30am on a school day and 3-3:30pm. Remove that roundabout and make it lights as it’s so dangerous and an accident waiting to happen. Do a bypass like the northern distributor in playgrounds for Dubbo have received more than 1000 votes and reached over 14,382 people.
“I’m very happy to announce the winning design for Algona Park was option three created by Imagination Play, who received a massive 64 per cent of the votes and the winning design for Wahroonga Park was option one, a design created by Moduplay Group who received a massive 88 per cent of the public votes,” Mayor Ben Shields said.
Both designs are vibrant inclusive play spaces which utilise both rubber softfall and natural bark Orange – that’s working well for them. Malinda Bateup: The ring road is a far better idea then the River Street Bridge, which would have absolutely no positive impact on our road congestion in West Dubbo.
Jeremy Ellis: Ring road.
Brian Cody: We need a ring road. We also need to keep those smelly cattle trucks out of the built-up areas.
Warrick Wheeler: A diversion of the Newell to Hennessy Lane extended to Eulomogo then across to the saleyards would solve the heavy and light traffic problems.
Doug Ford: A ring road. Where is traffic going if a bridge feeds into Tamworth Street? Just moving congestion somewhere else.
Glenys Mckinnon: Ring road with proper rest facilities.
Harold Lee: A motorway ring road well outside the city with outlets for drivers who wish to access the city and the four main highways. Fly overs so there are no intersections. If you don’t know how to do it, go to California and see how they do it. Find a politician that can do that for you and he will have a job for life.
Locals who also supported a ring road in our poll included Matthew Gilbert, Louise Marietta, Michelle Thompson, Lorna Breeze, Nikki Kegg, Barbara Przerada, Ian softfall. This has allowed for a significant increase in playground elements to be included to increase play value within the spaces. Additionally, Council will now plan for suitable compliant inclusive access to be installed.
Algona Park will be installed using funds secured from the Stronger Country Community Funds while Wahroonga Park will be funded through Dubbo Regional Council’s capital works prioritisation – assets renewal program.
Construction of both playgrounds is expected to commence during September 2018. Wray.
Sally Wilson Newton proposed a bypass from Tomingley coming out at Brocklehurst while Graeme Callaghan suggested diverting traffic with an improved road to Tomingley-narromine-eumungerie to use the high-level bridge already in place at Narromine.
“There is nowhere for trucks to stop in Dubbo so no real advantage for them to travel via Dubbo. Narromine could provide this service and reap the benefits for a small town.”
Jules Dorman: Dubbo needs a Northern Distributor Road like Orange. It also needs a proper truck stop where the truck driver can sit down at a table and have a proper meal. The Gilgandra truck stop even has a small motel attached for their weary truckies and travellers.
Jules Edwards: There really isn’t anywhere for them to rest properly. A truck stop with good food, not all take away would be great. The poor buggers.
Maureen Muzyczka: supply a shower.
One resident felt the two projects are completely separate to which Mayor Ben Shields added his comment to the poll, saying: “Not really. There is no way the state will fund two sets of traffic-relieving projects that are both hundreds of millions of dollars.”
Jules Edwards game a simple yet all-encompassing solution.
“Both please,” she said. Must also