Narrabri Shire Council will investigate new pedestrian crossings on the main streets of Boggabri, Narrabri and Wee Waa, after years of community calls for safer ways to cross the towns’ busiest roads.
Councillors voted unanimously to support a Mayoral Minute from Mayor Darrell Tiemens at this month’s Ordinary Council Meeting, directing staff to look into additional safe crossing points across the three towns.
Mayor Tiemens said the community had been raising the issue for some time.
“These things cost a lot of money, but we should be at the very least responding to the community that have suggested this for some time,” he said.
“It’s certainly important that we are very mindful of some of those crossings, particularly, of course, on the main street.”
The investigation will weigh pedestrian safety, demand and accessibility, along with priority locations and suitable crossing types. Staff will also consider council’s existing Disability Inclusion Action Plan, including its proposed Pedestrian Access and Mobility Plan, construction and maintenance costs, and impacts on parking, loading zones, businesses and traffic flow.
Council documents state that safe and accessible crossings are important for residents, visitors and local businesses, and that the review should identify locations where additional crossings could improve pedestrian safety, particularly for children, older people and people with disability.
Council will consult Transport for NSW and other affected stakeholders before reporting back with recommended locations, costs and impacts. Any resulting works will require further council approval.
Mayor Tiemens said the review would need to balance safety with cost.
“We’ve got to think about safety. We’ve got to think about accessibility, demand for it. We’ve got to prioritise different locations,” he said.
“We’ve also got to be mindful of the council’s existing disability inclusion action plan, construction costs, whether there’s government funding available.”
Cr Jocellin Jansson, a member of council’s Inclusion and Access Committee, welcomed the minute and asked for a pram ramp at the Narrabri pool car park to be included in the wider review.
“There’s a disabled car park, but it lacks an up ramp to the footpath, and I know it’s a problem at every election and other events,” Cr Jansson said.
“There are many groups that use that facility, and I know the issue of the absence of a pram ramp there is a significant one.”
Mayor Tiemens said the general manager would look into the pram ramp as part of the broader investigation.
“I agree it is a real issue, not just for people on wheels, but also people who have mobility issues,” he said.
“We always have people, aged care, and others who really struggle around that particular zone.”
Council said the investigation would give it the information needed to prioritise practical and affordable pedestrian safety improvements across the three towns.
Mayor Tiemens said no timeframe had been set for the investigation, leaving it to general manager Eloise Chaplain to prioritise the work, and thanked the councillors who had pushed for it, including Cr Jansson.
The motion, including the pram ramp addition, was carried unanimously.
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