Confusing road name an ‘accident waiting to happen’

BYRON Shire Council has reconsidered a request to rename a problematic street.

Byron Shire Council have considered renaming Granuaille Crescent, Bangalow after NSW Ambulance raised safety concerns about the name.

WHEN you need to call Triple 0 for an emergency at your home, you want to have confidence emergency services can find you.

But this hasn’t been the case for residents of Granuaille Crescent in Bangalow.

Resident Max Campbell urged councillors to rename the road in question, Granuaille Crescent, when he addressed Byron Shire Council’s ordinary meeting on Thursday.

He was speaking to a motion that arose from a NSW Ambulance request for the road, to the south of Hinterland Way, to be renamed for safety reasons.

Mr Campbell said the proximity to the nearby Granuaille Rd was problematic.

“In the last five years my household has called the ambulance service three time sin the early morning,” Mr Campbell said.

“Three times, the ambulance service couldn’t find our address even though I have a well-signposted letterbox.

“They’ve gone down and woken up the other family about 500 metres down the road … and I’ve got to be out on the road waving a torch so as to find them.

“It is an accident waiting to happen.”

Google Maps has the road known as Granuaille Crescent in Bangalow listed as a disjointed extension of Pioneers Crescent.

During the meeting, it became apparent Google Maps has Granuaille Crescent listed as a disjointed extension of Pioneers Crescent, which is on the opposite side of Hinterland Way, while Apple Maps has Granuaille Crescent correctly marked, although it incorrectly extends too far north.

Debate around the issue led mayor Simon Richardson to begin quoting Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

“What's in a name?,” Cr Richardson said.

“That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

He said the situation would be a “nightmare”, but changing the road’s name would not be “earth-shattering”.

“If one person has medical attention quicker … or a life is saved, let’s do it,” he said.

“I haven’t seen any real compelling reason not to.

Apple Maps has more accurately represented Granuaille Crescent in Bangalow, although it incorrectly extends onto the road known as Pioneers Crescent. Byron Shire Council has voted to rename the road from Granuaille Crescent to Satinash Crescent.

“If someone decided to name my road differently I couldn’t care less.

“It is somewhat a cumbersome thing but at the same time … we’re getting a medical request from someone who’s job it is to save lives.”

The council’s staff explained there was a historical issue when they named Pioneers Crescent, creating an issue with some maps.

The name change is expected to go to the Geographical Names Board for gazettal and Granuaille Crescent, soon to be Satinash Crescent, will be formally split from Pioneers Crescent as part of that process.

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