OPTIMISTIC: Michael Chamberlain, left, and Cooranbong Chamber of Commerce president Bob Kalef.
FEARFUL residents have taken their pleas to upgrade a notoriously dangerous intersection at Cooranbong directly to the federal government.
Member for Charlton, Greg Combet, this week agreed to help residents apply for funding for improvements to the intersection at Cooranbong shopping village.
Cooranbong Chamber of Commerce has been driving the campaign to have the site improved.
Resident Michael Chamberlain has been co-ordinating the campaign.
He had a 10-minute meeting with Mr Combet recently, during which he presented a petition containing hundreds of signatures from locals requesting federal intervention.
‘‘I must give Mr Combet credit for giving me his personal time on this, unscheduled,’’ Mr Chamberlain said.
Mr Combet explained that to be eligible for funding through the federal government’s Black Spot program, a nominated location must meet criteria, including having a record of casualties.
‘‘I have sought information from the Roads and Maritime Service, who administer the program, and I am advised that this intersection has been the site of two injury crashes in the last five years, as well as the terrible fatality (involving resident Charles Pointon) in 2008,’’ Mr Combet said.
‘‘I have assisted the Cooranbong Chamber of Commerce to nominate this site as a Black Spot, which I hope will be considered for funding by the panel.’’
Mr Combet read several eyewitness accounts of incidents at the site.
‘‘I was very concerned to hear of Cooranbong residents having near misses at this intersection,’’ he said.
‘‘Nobody wants to see another fatality there.’’
Mr Chamberlain said he was cautiously optimistic about the prospects of a solution.
‘‘But the jury is still out and we need to do more work to convince the federal government that there is an urgent need,’’ he said.
‘‘And the state MP Greg Piper needs to show strong form on this and support it vigorously.’’
Why locals fear tragedy
NEARLY every time I drive through the intersection someone will walk out to cross the road, but not on the designated crossing. Not just elders, but young mums with prams.
– V Norton
CARS are not visible till the last minute, so to cross this road I have to look right and then nearly run across and hope that no car is behind the hill.
– Elena Scifleet
I HAVE personally comforted a number of traumatised elderly people who were nearly killed while trying to cross on this dangerous black spot.
– Bronwyn Reid
EVEN after the 50km speed limit was introduced, many drivers simply come tearing over this crest of a hill.
– Michael Dabson
