Allegedly a pedestrian was walking along a road. A semi tralier swerved to miss him and did, and continued on. A Rodeo ute coming along behind the semi trailer hit the pedestrian. The pedestrian died.

Chief Inspector Michael Tranbie was just on ABC Radio Riverina talking about this matter and he emphasised and emphasised again, that pedestrians should not walk along roads, or along road verges but get right up off the roads (roads being the area that vehicles such as cars and trucks etc, travel along).

That is contrary to what Gundagai highway patrol Sergeant Darren Moulds told me on 29 June about pedestrians walking along roads in Gundagai that viz, “Gundagai police would not enforce it” it being the law that pedestrians not walk along roads.

That view was later contradicted by Snr Const Brasen of Tumut Police when she gave me a phone call back re my notification of stalking and harrassment over me removing agapanthus so I could safely walk through an area and not be forced into walking along the road.

I am wondering – small communities have Road Safety Committees. Police are on these Committees and so are Shire Council reps and road safety officers as well as others. Gundagai Shire Council supports a road safety officer that also works with Tumut Shire Council and Tumbarumba Shire Council. This committee and the road safety officer are Shire Council activities and fostered through regional organisations of councils which have been formed to prevent small council amalgamations. Gundagai Shire Council belongs to REROC and the idea for regional organisations of Councils originated in Gundagai and have now spread, statewide. Its a way for small shire councils to have more muscle while retainign their autonomy. These regional organisations of councils are in effeect, unions.

I wonder if area traffic police are being influenced in local areas via these road safety committees, to – in their local areas “not enforce it” it being the NSW Road Act and traffic rules for pedestrians.

Whatever, after last night a male is dead, and the man who ran into him allegedly is in shock and is also suspected of suffering a heart attack as a result of the accident. A family will deeply grieve their lost member and the unfortunate person who did run into a pedestrian who was walking along the road, will live with that forever.

It beats me how local coppers can alter legislated law. I know they have the power of discretion but this stuff is about road and human safety. Do coppers also allow speeds of up to 300klms an hour as in their local area they will not enforce the speeding rules? Where does that discretion start and end re road safety?

The area in Gundagai I am concerned about is acknowledged as being dangerous by Gundagai Shire Council as is my street at various times during the day but in Gundagai, pedestrians walking along roads will not be enforced.

I just wonder if the police in this Gundagai/Tumut/Tumbarumba area are having undue influence put on them in the Shire Council road safety committee to allow behaviour that is contrary to the law both in context and in action.

If Shire Councils can stop pedestrians walkign along nature strips or paths, no one then will fall and sue Council and if the area is not maintained or alienated by adjacent property owners, Councils get off scot free. Shire Councils whine that the State Governments are cost shifting but are Shire Coucnils responsibility shifting via road safety committees and road law not being enforced in local areas.

J.Jones

Gundagai Council is really big on encouraging walking in this part of town. My 4 street block is in line for a medium density listing in the new LEP and the agapanthus area is also an area slotted in by council where walking is encouraged. However, it seems it has to be unsafe walking in the public places as apparently its illegal to keep areas safe to a minimum standard for pedestrians.

Someone must care about the plants as the NSW Police have issued a penalty notice re their removal? They want $220. I hear in Tumut they had a real go at some children whose pet died so they buried it then went and got some small stones to put on the grave to mark it out. They were in strife with the coppers re the small stones they removed from a public place. By the time pedestrians deal with some of the bizarre NSW policing, Shire Councils with their antics, and dangerous motorists and chemical heads – its an amazing world.

Of course the lies in the penalty notice will be disputed. Sending out penalty notices is one way to refill the empty NSW coffers though I suppose.

What pushed your buttons Mars? Chemicals? You do not have to read what I posted so just do not read it if you do not like it. If you do not want me posting content here well, get over it you silly person.

I have concerns for my safety re this person given he is so angry.

I have concerns for my safety re tripping on the agapanthus obstruction across the nature strip adjacent to his property.

The way I walk to the shops is the way I have walked all my life (I am nearly 60 and live where I grew up), and it is the only way from my home to get to the shops. I do not drive. I do not cross at the nearby intersection as it is where most crashes in this area happen. I cross mid street.

I rang the police when I got home yesterday and had a discussion with a senior constable. No one else in Gundgaai plants plants so that pedestrians cannot acess across the nature strips. This property owner tells me that Council own the land and claims that Council said he could plant the plants. He tells me he told Council no one walks through that area but someone was putting wooden barricades along the agapanthus to stop them being trodden on. Someone then replaced the wooden barriacdes with two large mounds of animal waste.

Gundagai Shire Council manage the nature strips in Gundagai under NSW Public Land Management legislation.

If this property owner wants to alientate the public land/nature strip near his property there is a process that needs to happen and it hasnt. If Council does assist this property owner to alienate the nature strip from public access in the future then that is something all Gundagai could do to the nature strips adjacent to theuir homes. Interesting concept for public land in NSW. Didn’t NSW sort that out in around 1850?

Whatever, I will continue to remove any agapanthus that baulk me safely progressing along the nature strip in this part of Gundagai as I need to be able to travel to the shops and elsewhere in this town. Agapanthus grow to quite a height and are bushy so they will very effectively block pedestrian access totally if these ones get much bigger.

Gundagai currently is trying to remove noxious plants. Agapanthus are spreading in bushland areas so quickly there are moves to make them a noxious plant. I have them planted at my property and am continually having to chop them back and may remove them totally now I am aware that they are invading other areas so effectively. They have small black seeds in them and the birds spread them.

It has in yesterday’s Gundagai paper that the North Star Service Station in Gundagai, (the only place left at North Gundagai where motorists can buy petrol), is going to stop selling petrol this Thursday. Its to do with the need to install leak sensors down in the ground to check that fuel isnt leaking into the water table and the way too high cost to do that – thus no more fuel will be sold.

That is good as the area near the North Star has been very dangerous for pedestrians heading easterwards along Sheridan St to the town shops with vehicles heading to the service station from Sheridan St cutting the corner to get into the North Star driveway and almost taking pedestrians with them.

Council was going to construct a pedestrian refuge in Otway St and had marked out where it was to go, but there was an objection so Council didn’t install that refuge, then there were several more near misses of pedestrians after. Its good that service station will no longer be selling fuel as that may make it safer for pedestrians. The North Star will still have its NRMA work. Petrol Stations are bettter off not right in the centre of towns anyway. North Gundagai once had 10 fuel outlets within a mile but will have nil so that is a vast improvement.

I rang Gundagai Police on receiving Council’s response, this morning and asked the Traffic Sgt, (Sgt Mould), where can pedestrians walk. He says Gundagai police will not act on anyone who is not obstructing traffic. That means that pedestrians can walk along the road even if there is a formed footpath and two nature strips in close proximity, to walk on.

The Local Misgovernment and Gundagai nonPolicing approach to road and pedestrian safety all sort of spits in the face of actual traffic and pedestrian safety – doesnt it.

Gundagai has a long bushranger history and nil changes.

Gundagai has a big dog tourism image so perhaps this placing filthy faeces along the nature strips is some new Gundagai tourist venture.

J.Jones – Gundagai

A resident has planted agapanthus width ways across a nature stip here obstructing safe pedestrian progress along that nature strip. Now there are 30 lumps of animal poo spread along the agapanthus where some leaves have come off due to pedestrians tripping on the agapanthus.

Are pedestrians to tread in the filthy poo and that will stop them walking along there?

I wrote to Gundagai Shire Council about the trip hazard and obstruction but they have failed to have the agapanthus removed. I just wrote another letter about all the poo heaped along there now but Council likely wont act re that either.

So much for safety in Gundagai and the Council has a history of poo across nature strips too when the main sewer lines flow down into the gutters at heavy rain. Amazing admin in this town.

The antics that go on in this town and how Council refuses to ensure pedestration safety on nauture strips is in my opinion, pretty disgusting given its thteir responsibility given nature strips are public land managed by local government. Then they claim they are due for constitutional recognition when they cannot even administer the basics.

JJones – Gundagai

I think this is very true. There will always be people who think that they don’t need to abide by the laws of the road and will just walk out into the road whenever they please until they eventually get run down and then try to sue the driver. It’s definitely a problem that needs addressing but when you have people who are simply ignoring laws and legislations, what can you do? It’s a tough one.