Cameras ‘revenue raisers’ says Lismore councillor

LISMORE councillor Greg Bennett has described speed cameras as “nothing but revenue raisers” and opposed a recommendation for a fixed camera at Bexhill.

LISMORE councillor Greg Bennett has described speed cameras as "nothing but revenue raisers" and opposed a Lismore Traffic Committee recommendation for a fixed camera at Bexhill.

This is despite Lismore City Council recommending Roads and Maritime Services install a fixed camera in the area.

In the meantime, a variable message sign trailer and a speed camera vehicle will be tasked to do regular patrols of the area.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday following Tuesday's Lismore City Council meeting, Cr Bennett expressed his opposition to the devices in no uncertain terms.

"I opposed the (Traffic Advisory Committee) minutes in their entirety primarily because I could not get any support to move an amendment to exclude the request for a fixed speed camera at Bexhill," he wrote.

"Fixed speed cameras are in my opinion nothing but revenue raisers.

"They cost good, decent people hundreds of dollars for inadvertently going slightly over the speed limit.

"Speed does not kill, bad drivers do."

The draft minutes of the meeting show more detail on the possibility of a camera installation, but it was excluded from the final agenda.

In those minutes it was resolved that "the issue of the installation of a fixed speed camera in Bexhill be referred to the RMS for consideration and further, in the shorter term a VMS trailer and a speed camera vehicle be positioned within the Bexhill village as its schedule permits".

That was voted for by councillors Battista, Clough, Dowell, Ekins, Houston, Ritchie Scheibel and Smith, with only Cr Bennett voting against.

Cr Bennett also took issue with cameras at the bottom of hills - Wollongbar for one - and said he would like to "get rid of the lot of them".