$198,000 roundabout 'a waste of money'

GOONELLEBAH resident slams new roundabout as a waste of money and calls for traffic lights instead.

Road works along Invercauld Road in Goonellabah where a new round about is being installed. Picture: Marc Stapelberg

A NEW roundabout in Goonellabah on a road the council named a "rat-run” has been slammed by one resident as a waste of money which won't stop people speeding.

Construction on the roundabout at the T-intersection of Invercauld Rd and Simons Ave, which began yesterday, is fully-funded by Transport for NSW under the NSW Government's Safer Roads Program at a cost of $198,000.

Traffic data has shown in excess of 4500 vehicles use the road a day, but local resident Dino Pagura said it won't slow down "dumb drivers” who speed.

Mr Pagura said the funds spent on the roundabout's construction could be better spent on traffic lights only 210m north on Ballina Rd.

"Council would be far better off installing traffic lights on the corner of Invercauld Rd and Ballina Rd,” he said.

"It's just a waste of money, (because) it won't slow the traffic, no way in the world, as soon as they get through it they will put the foot down.”

At the council December 11, 2018 meeting the Traffic Advisory Committee November minutes reported traffic data indicated "approximately 3800 vehicles average daily traffic (ADT) and 4.5 per cent heavy vehicles use Simons Ave, Clifford St, Norwood Ave into Pleasant St”.

"Simons Ave is a local collector road connecting Invercauld Rd to Rous Rd and is used frequently as a 'rat run' for drivers trying to avoid the Invercauld Rd and Ballina Rd intersection,” the report said.

The report also showed the Ballina Rd intersection with Invercauld Rd, "recorded accident history indicates that between 2010-2015, there were seven accidents resulting in one serious injury and one moderate injury with five tow-aways.”

Mr Pagura who has lived on Invercauld Rd since 1974, said the roundabout will not deter people speeding down the residential street in defiance of the give way signage on Simons Ave.

"It would have been better to have a roundabout on the top of Cynthia Wilson Drive,” he said.

"There are far more many accidents there than at Simons Ave.”

At the November 2018 TAC meeting councillor Bill Moorhouse, Senior Const Rob Clark, Bronwyn Mitchell and Linda Makejev (voting via email) all voted in favour of the roundabout with no votes against.