RMS and Ashfield council at loggerheads over Frederick St advertising trailers

A BUSY road has been inundated with advertising trailers and residents and politicians have had enough. But the RMS says the trailers aren’t going anywhere.

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LOCAL politicians are calling for a crackdown on the parking of advertising trailers in suburban streets for extended periods. But the RMS says the trailers aren’t going anywhere.

Ashfield Labor councillor Mark Drury and Strathfield Labor MP Jodi McKay say they have been fighting the trailer-fight for months and that it’s time something was done to relieve the problem, particularly in known hot spots like Frederick St in Ashfield.

But a Roads and Maritime spokesman said that not much was going to change with the situation.

“The trailers on Frederick St next to Hammond Park are registered, therefore are parked legally,” the Roads and Maritime spokesman said.

“Roads and Maritime Services will continue to monitor the area to ensure the signs do not pose a risk to safety.

“There are no plans to change the parking conditions.”

State and local Labor members are combining to fight the trailer trouble.

But Cr Drury said this is not good enough, and he will be taking the issue to Tuesday night’s Ashfield Council meeting, with Ashfield councillors last discussing the issue in August last year.

“(At the last meeting where it was discussed), we resolved to write to the RMS to seek a meeting to work out how to fix the advertising trailer problem along Frederick St in Ashfield in the vicinity of Hammond Park,” Cr Drury said.

“Many of the trailers are parked there 24 hours a day for seven days per week.”

Trailers with advertising on them lined up along Frederick St last year. Picture: Craig Wilson

Cr Drury said that Ashfield Council did this to try to ease the congestion in Frederick St.

“The advertising trailers are not just unsightly, but they contribute to the clutter and congestion on the street,” he said.

“The trailers also reduce the availability of parking for those who want to use the park.”

With the responsibilities for Frederick Street falling under the control of the RMS, Cr Drury said he had approached the organisation, searching for an update.

Cr Drury said he was told by the RMS that Frederick St was considered a “safe” place for the trailers to park.

Advertisers have been parking in Frederick St for a long time. Picture: Craig Wilson

Cr Drury said he was told “the trailers seem to be in the safest possible location along Frederick St.”

“I think they are missing the point,” he said.

Ms McKay, who is opposition spokeswoman for Roads, Maritime and Freight, said she was concerned about RMS’s priorities in allowing the trailers to stay.

“It is not the government’s role to support trailer advertising on an RMS road,” she said.

“The trailers should not be parked on this road, given the level of traffic from Parramatta Rd and City West Link.”