LOCAL MEMBER FOR PITTWATER ROB STOKES IGNORES COMMUNITY SAFETY CONCERNS
Wasn't the upgrading of Mona Vale Road between Manor Road, Ingleside to Foley Street, Mona Vale to address safety issues that contributed to the fatal Cootes Petrol tanker crash?
During the RMS consultation period local residents gave submissions to the RMS and copied local member for Pittwater Rob Stokes in requesting a flyover / grade separation at the intersection with Samuel Street.
This was discounted by the RMS stating it was cost prohibitive and not even referred to in the Mona Vale Rd Submissions report January 2016.
What is the cost of a life?
The RMS now proposes to install traffic signals at the intersection with Samuel Street replacing the current roundabout, however residents are saying this will not make the intersection any safer than it currently is and was at the time of the fatal tanker crash and infact will make it worse.
After spending $ millions upgrading Mona Vale Road an out of control speeding truck or other large heavy vehicle coming down the "Mona Vale Hill" will speed past the cemetery and will likely be confronted with a bank up of cars stopped at the new red traffic signal.
This will result in the truck rear ending many stationary cars waiting to continue travelling east and possibly then running head on into more vehicles waiting to continue travelling west.
Concerned about the total rejection by the RMS of this flyover suggestion six local residents requested a meeting with Rob Stokes to discuss the issue along with a number of other concerning issues of the proposed RMS upgrade.
The meeting was held 4 March 2016 with 6 residents, Rob Stokes and his assistant Andrew Johnson present lasting nearly 90 minutes. During the meeting it appeared Rob Stokes was taking extensive notes.
The outcome of the meeting was that Rob Stokes was to write to the RMS expressing resident concerns with the proposed upgrade in particular no flyover at the Samuel Street intersection and request a reply so that this may then be forwarded to each of the six residents.
Now this is where it gets very interesting so read on.
A Government Information Public Access application (GIPA) was lodged with the RMS to gain information relating to modelling and costings that should have been done in order to support the claim that the flyeover was cost prohibitive. The outcome was that no modelling or costings were ever done.
Not believing this was possible an appeal was lodged with The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) for further investigation. A 4 hour mediation session was set aside 7 November 2016 for the matter to be discussed. The outcome was once again no costings were ever done, the fylover idea was simply discarded outright.
However another fact arose from that mediation session with the RMS confirming Rob Stokes and his office NEVER WROTE to the RMS expressing the residents concerns regarding the proposed upgrade and no overpass from the meeting 4 March 2016.
This is shocking, how can residents spend nearly 90 minutes in a meeting with Rob Stokes who then promises to write to the RMS expressing their concerns and does not follow through with the correspondence. The residents now feel totally let down and insulted by this.
This is a major safety concern, another terrible Cootes Petrol Tanker crash can happen, the proposed upgrade by the RMS will make the danger worse and it appears Local Member for Pittwater Rob Stokes is not interested in his constituents safety and all road users of Mona Vale Road.
Download Documents for the GIPA on Conclusions of design an costing for overpass proposal (c/- Member Rob Stokes) Mona Vale Road East Upgrade, at intersection with Samuel St and Ponderosa Pde (estimated at $50 million)
statement_of_richard_hine_-_walker_matter.pdf |
statement_of_matty_mathivanar_-_walker_matter.pdf |
statement_of_clarinda_campbell_-_walker_matter.pdf |
submissions_by_respondent_rms_gipa_walker_matter.pdf |
Download the Mona Vale Rd Submissions report January 2016.
mona_vale_rd_submissions_report_jan_2016.compressed.pdf |