ROUNDABOUT campaigner Kent McNab's latest address to Bathurst Regional Council has garnered an update on the progress of the roundabout at the intersection of Mitre, Suttor and Lambert streets.
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Mr McNab had prepared several questions for the engineering services director Darren Sturgiss at council's most recent meeting and received a comprehensive response.
The last update received stated that council was in talks with Crown Lands to get permission to put water services through the land occupied by the scout hall.
Mr Sturgiss said those talks were close to concluding.
“The water main issue, in terms of putting it through the scout hall Crown Lands area, that is in the process of being resolved,” he said.
“The land claim, in terms of the Native Title claim, we’ve been advised that that is no longer going to be followed through and so we are satisfied that access will be granted through that area for the purpose of an easement for our water pipes.
“We are yet to have that confirmed by Crown Lands.”
Mr Sturgiss also said that the design work with Geolyse was continuing, working under the assumption that permission would be granted to use the scout hall land.
Mr McNab and his wife, Dianne, recently reaffirmed that their fight for the roundabout would continue with the same enthusiasm as it had been seen over the last two years.
They reiterated this to council at the last meeting meeting, with Mr McNab highlighting incidents involving more than 40 people that had come to light since their campaign began.
“This is a very serious safety problem, which has become worse over the last 22 years since I first spoke about it with mayor [Ian] McIntosh,” he said.
“We are determined to continue our campaign until the roundabout is completed.”
Mr McNab reminded council that the intersection sits at the centre of the West Bathurst education hub, where students from three different schools travel every school day.
While he is yet to receive an exact figure for this year, the combined population of the three schools is estimated at more than 1900 students.
Mr McNab maintained that the safety of these children had to be put first and construction needed to start in 2019.
“Since coming to council meetings we have seen copious amounts of money spent or proposed on recreational facilities such as football fields of all types, bicycle tracks, race tracks, go-kart tracks and now skateboard tracks. These are all worthwhile projects,” Mr McNab said.
“However, while speaking to people in Bathurst not one person has ever complained to me about the use of ratepayers’ money to improve the safety of children and drivers at the Lambert, Mitre, Suttor street intersection. They have stated that safety is paramount.”
