Bundaberg’s new $175k intersection warning system under scrutiny

A groundbreaking $175,000 road safety system installed at a deadly Bundaberg intersection has sparked fierce debate over whether technology alone can prevent crashes. Vote in our poll:

The intersection of Hummock Road and Windermere Road, where Bundaberg Regional Council has installed a new Rural Intersection Activated Warning System.

A Bundaberg intersection trialling new safety technology has come under fresh scrutiny after a string of crashes, including one that claimed the life of a young man late last year.

The junction of Hummock Road and Windermere Road is the site of a new $175,000 Rural Intersection Activated Warning System, designed to reduce crash risks by alerting drivers in real-time when a vehicle is approaching from a side road.

The system, installed by Bundaberg Regional Council in February using federal Black Spot funding, is the first of its kind in Queensland.

It comes after a 25-year-old seasonal worker was killed in November 2024 when the van he was in collided with a ute at the nearby Hummock Road and Elliot Heads Road intersection.
Four other people were taken to hospital. The driver was later charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death.

Just months later, in February 2025, four people were hospitalised following a multi-vehicle crash on Windermere Road.

The intersection of Hummock Road and Windermere Road, where Bundaberg Regional Council has installed a new Rural Intersection Activated Warning System.

Now, council is calling on residents and road users to share their views on the new warning system, asking whether the tech has made the notoriously busy intersection feel safer.
Councillor Larine Statham-Blair, who holds the roads and infrastructure (urban) portfolio, said community feedback would help determine whether the approach should be expanded elsewhere.

“This technology provides targeted, real-time warnings to drivers rather than relying on permanent speed limits that may not reflect changing conditions,” she said.

“The real measure of success is how safe our community feels on the road.”

Have your say: we’ll be running our own poll this week to find out whether the public believes the new system is working – or if the intersection still needs urgent upgrades.

Windermere Road is a council-controlled road.
However, locals pushing for more significant upgrades may also wish to contact the Department of Transport and Main Roads.