Tin Can Bay Rd residents outraged over road after schoolboy hit by a car

Heavy vehicles hammering along the only road that connects Gympie to the Cooloola Coast have turned a regional road into a tragedy waiting to happen - and that tragedy happened this week. Now the families who live there are demanding a change.

Residents congregated on Gate Rd and Tin Can Bay Road to express their ongoing concerns of the 10km stretch between Kin Kin Rd and Wilon’s Pocket Rd.Philippa Star, Tirtzah Townsend, Marian Dunchue, Nigel Dunchue, Bronwyn Evans, Lee Garrels, Loretta Mills, Nathan Townsend and Robert Sawtell.

“Everyday we take our life into our hands when we leave our driveways,” said Robert Sawtell, a resident who lives within 200m of where 14-year-old Levi Hanna was hit by a car on Wednesday on Tin Can Bay Road.

The residents along the 10km stretch of Tin Can Bay Road between Kin Kin Rd and Wilson’s Pocket Rd say it’s “an accident waiting to happen”. Tragically that accident happened this week.

The constant heavy haulage trucks, caravans, utes, sedans and hatchbacks driving up and back the only road that connects Gympie to Tin Can Bay and Rainbow Beach has turned “what was a country road to a race-track,” Mr Sawtell said.

Eight residents congregated on Gate Rd and Tin Can Bay Road to express their ongoing concerns of the 10km stretch between Kin Kin Rd and Wilson’s Pocket Rd.

The crests and turns are subtle, a narrow single lane road in both directions, with no overtaking, and no verges for pulling over. All the residents living along this stretch have gravel entrances to either driveways or service roads that are barely distinguishable and look unused to passing traffic.

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On closer inspection, the entrance roads are well-worn but the grass and trees along the road are green with overgrowth.

On Grimley Rd at the bottom of a crest, just 200m from where the accident happened on Wednesday, there is a small, but clearly well-trampled path through the grass.

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At the top of the crest is Gate Rd, where each day, primary school and high school buses stop. Here, residents said at least four families have school aged children.

The bus stop at Gate Rd and Tin Can Bay Road. Residents express their ongoing concerns of the 10km stretch between Kin Kin Rd and Wilson’s Pocket Rd.

The bus stop is an extended lip on the road. At least once a day school children need to cross the road to catch the bus or get home.

There are a few yellow signs of a mother and child walking along the road to encourage motorists to be careful.

There is no designated pedestrian crossing, a clearly marked bus stop or bus shelter.

For anyone even entering Tin Can Bay Rd from Gate Rd at this intersection it is “risking our lives,” said Lee Garrels, another resident.

Mrs Garrels’ concerns peaked last November when she drafted a letter with the community to bring it up with authorities.

When Levi’s accident happened on Wednesday, she had to do something about it. She found out Loretta Mills had already put the questions to Tony Perrett in 2020.

She put the call out and had a response. Eight enraged residents congregated on Gate Rd by the bus to talk to The Gympie Times about their ongoing concerns.

“Let‘s reduce the speed. I think a start would be slow everybody down,” said Nigel Dunchue, a resident who lives off Morley Rd, just 800m away.

Residents congregated on Gate Rd and Tin Can Bay Road to express their ongoing concerns of the 10km stretch between Kin Kin Rd and Wilson’s Pocket Rd. Marian Dunchue, Robert Sawtell, Philippa Star, Tirtzah Townsend, Nigel Dunchue, Lee Garrels, Loretta Mills and Bronwyn Evans.

The speed limit on this road is 100km/h, but driving at the recommended 80km/h means seeing an intimidating parade of cars and trucks build up in the rearview mirror.

The speed limit is not the only thing; Tirtzah Townsend, a macadamia farmer with a property along Gate Rd wants to see a whole review of the road, especially with the Bruce Highway Bypass going in.

“I‘d like to see some bus shelters for the kids and a couple of those yellow flashing signs for children crossing during school hours,” said Philippa Star, another resident.

Residents congregated on Gate Rd and Tin Can Bay Road to express their ongoing concerns of the 10km stretch between Kin Kin Rd and Wilson’s Pocket Rd.

Improving the visibility with the edges being mown and maintained was another suggestion all residents agreed should be simple enough to do.

Loretta Mills from Window Rd said she asked Mr Perrett in 2020 for the speed limit to be reviewed.

She received a letter in response saying the recommendations from Transport and Main Roads came back for the 100 km/h limit to be “retained” and approval to clear the trees at this location “may be too difficult to acquire”.

Bronwyn Evans learned about the accident when the helicopter tried to land on her property.

“I’ve already had a car written off here and countless near misses. It’s about time we do something about it.”

When the Department of Main Roads and Transport was approached about possible safety upgrades to that stretch of road they responded with this:

“The current bus pick-up and drop-off location on that section of road has been in place since 1970 with no known previous incidents. The location of rural bus stops are determined by the service operator.”