Push for intersection upgrades

Cessnock City Council will ask Member for Cessnock, Clayton Barr, to make representations to the State Government for a review of safety at the intersections of Charles Street and Cessnock Road Abermain; Duffie Drive and Maitland Road, Cessnock and Quarrybylong Street and Aberdare Road, Aberdare.

Cessnock Road, Maitland Road and Aberdare Road are all State Roads under the care and control of Roads and Maritime Services, who have indicated to council that the need for safety works at these three intersections is not currently considered a high priority.

Cr. Catherine Parsons called for the roads minister to be invited to look at these intersections.

“These are all very dangerous intersections; it’s about time we did something to make sure action is taken before we have any more accidents, or fatal accidents, at that intersection,” she said.

Regarding the Abermain intersection, Cr. Parsons said she was “extremely concerned that the Government is not treating the matter serious enough.

“If they just keep ignoring it, it won’t be long until there is a fatal accident and we shouldn’t be waiting around waiting for that to happen.

“The ladies in the neighbourhood centre say that they hear a screech and just wait for the bang. Something has to be done.”

Cr. Morgan Campbell said the Quarrybylong Street/Aberdare Road corner was “particularly notorious” and that council needs to keep pressing.

Statistics on fatalities on the Cessnock LGA road network will also be provided.

Cr. Cordelia Burcham said the motion needed to be broadened to include areas that have regular fatalities and called for statistics to be compiled.

Cr. Ian Olsen said he supports investigating all of these intersections, but that council needs to look at all of its roads and highlight the “hot spots”.

“We have had enough deaths on our roads, we don’t need any more,” he added.