Bayside councillor suggests putting in 30km/h zones around area due to safety concerns

A southern Sydney councillor has withdrawn a motion to investigate 30km/h zones across the region – a few weeks after the City of Sydney’s controversial plans for 40km/h zones. Here’s the latest.

A motion to see speed limits drop to 30km/h in southern Sydney has been withdrawn.

The motion was set for Wednesday’s Bayside Council meeting by Greens councillor Greta Werner however was withdrawn and not debated.

The motion requested the council “investigates potential locations for introducing 30km/h zones” in the Bayside LGA.

It follows a controversial move by nearby City of Sydney Council to implement 40km/h zones across multiple council-managed roads earlier this month.

City of Sydney council’s Lord Mayor Clover Moore is pushing for 30km/h zones in her area. Picture: Jonathan Ng

It is understood Sydney Mayor Clover Moore is also looking to cut speed limits to 30km/h.

However, there was only one submission in “support for 30km/h speed limits more generally across the City of Sydney”.

The proposed locations for Ms Werner’s motion includes residential streets, around train stations and local centres.

Greens Councillor Greta Werner. Picture: Facebook

Ms Werner told this masthead she put forward the motion after receiving feedback from residents who were fed up with “speeding, noisy vehicles, being unable to safely walk or cycle around the neighbourhood”.

“Like myself, residents are concerned about the safety of our streets, particularly for children,” Ms Werner said.

“Bayside Council have supported several motions recently that have looked to address hooning and opening up our streets for people, such as the events on Bay St in Brighton-Le-Sands and Shaw St, Bexley North. These are important, but the intent of 30km/h areas is to provide more permanent everyday benefits for our residents and businesses.

Ms Werner said the particular area of concern specifically for lower speeds at Banksia shops on Railway Street, near the train station. Picture: Lucy Smith

“There’s a large and growing support for 30km/h zones, locally, nationally and internationally. “A lot of recent research has pointed to there being significant benefits to community safety and wellbeing, and local businesses, with very little negative impact on urban travel times.”

However, the motion was withdrawn from the meeting and is not expected to be debated for the rest of the current council term.

It was noted by the council’s general manager that 30km/h speed zones “can apply in streets that are restricted to a single lane of travel in each direction”.

“(They can) cater for large numbers of pedestrians in areas with low traffic movement,” the general manager wrote.

“They are usually accompanied by traffic calming engineering and landscape treatments. A review of local streets that meet these criteria could be undertaken in the next council term.”