Mike Baird | Member for Manly - Safety is Paramount but Seaforth Deserves Assurance Fence is Only Option

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Safety is Paramount but Seaforth Deserves Assurance Fence is Only Option

Wednesday, 16 December 2009

The Roads Minister will be presented with a petition on Monday regarding the RTA�s decision to install a fence in Seaforth village and asked to assure the community no other safety measures are viable, said Manly MP Mike Baird.

�We will be taking a petition of more than 1000 signatures to the Minister for Roads on Monday to show the depth of the Seaforth community�s despair on this issue,� Mr Baird said.

�Obviously safety is the key concern and if the RTA has genuinely investigated every option and statistics do show this stretch of road is dangerous for pedestrians � then we�ll accept their decision.

�However we want the Minister�s personal assurance that every other safety measure has been seriously considered and the fence is the only option.

�Of course safety must be paramount but the RTA needs to learn a couple of lessons in this.

�The RTA can�t make such a fundamental change to a village centre without consulting the community.

�It needs to listen to the community�s concerns and adapt where possible to achieve a win-win outcome.

�The RTA has advised that five pedestrian accidents in five years puts Seaforth shops among the worst areas for pedestrian accidents across the State.

�However until the public forum we secured, the community had no idea whether the RTA had looked into other safety initiatives and if there was another viable option.

�We are pleased that the RTA has agreed to overturn the No U-Turn ban outside of peak times � this wouldn�t have happened if the community didn�t speak up at the forum.

�All we are asking is for the Minister to assure the Seaforth community that safety for pedestrians is a real concern and that no other safety measure is possible.�

MEDIA: Lisa Harrington � 0406 726 880

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Comments (17)

seaforth fence

The point that must be stressed is that the accidents and fatalities claimed to motivate the fence have been shown to be irrelevant. That the RTA is regurgitating this misleading information is reprehensibel

Posted by: Andrew L Urban at 17-12-2009 15:10

Safety Fence at Seaforth

Sterling idea Mike they do need safety in Seaforth they should go for it ASAP.

Posted by: Gordon Trimble at 17-12-2009 15:12

Seaforth fence

A fence separating the two sides of the Seaforth shopping village will be detrimental to businesses in Seaforth, and I feel a lot more could close. As the parking in Seaforth village is limited, if access to cross the road where shoppers choose is blocked, many people won't bother. There is already a pedestrian crossing in Seafcrth Village available and I feel erecting a dividing fence will impact negatively on the community and the businesses.

Posted by: Cheryl Cooper at 17-12-2009 15:17

fence

The RTA are using statistics - already shown to be in error -in order to proceed with the fence. Why has this been allowed to go unchallenged?

Posted by: Judy Austin at 17-12-2009 15:26

Seaforth fence

But safety had to be the paramount concern. Why ?
Stupid people do stupid things why does the rest of society have to constantly suffer because of stupid people who do not know how to cross the road.
Is the RTA going to put up fences along George, York and Clarence street in the city. Pedestrians are hit every day in the city. What is the difference ? Why is Seaforth so different to the city?
Has the RTA realised that after the fence it erected and the businesses fail people will stop crossing the road and the fence will have not been necessary in the first place.
Safety is a stupid open ended argument. Safety can be argued to a point where society stops functioning. Safety should be argued on the basis of genuine dangers certainly NOT the actions of a few individules who cant even open their eyes to cross the road.

Posted by: Chris at 17-12-2009 15:43

The Fence that will divide the Seaforth

Seaforth is a small integrated shopping strip which is now being overpowered by an increasing and very peak heavy traffic flows. The traffic flow is the problem because the RTA and State Government have failed to address the need for new and upgraded access roads. Long term plans were scrapped and RTA land sold. The fence will impact the viability of the retail stip by cutting it in half. What we need is the current plans for current and future access solutions. No more cheap stop gap solutions to what is a road issue!

Posted by: Wayne Moynham at 17-12-2009 15:59

Seaforth Traffic Fence

Offen Governments put a blanket decision on areas which may be a dangerous situation but I personally do not think so of this area. If a lot of children were in the area okay. It is a busy area but if they are so concerned put in an underpass - too expensive. A fence people will jump anyway and it will frustrate people too. If we keep on with this OH&S soon we will not be able to sneeze.

Posted by: margaret ward at 17-12-2009 16:00

Seaforth fence

Mike what we are seeing with the RTA's action in wanting to install a "safety" fence in Seaforth is a a microcosm example of how the RTA deals with people and our safety in the entire State. I think the people of NSW are sick of its paternal or Orwellian "Big Brother" way of handing matters affecting people's everyday lives. There is a policy opportunity here for you and the Opposition, to introduce a formal means of appealing RTA decisions, like an RTA Appeals Tribunal. The people of this State are sick of being told what is good for them by these faceless bureaucrats! Do we really have to be protected from ourselves??? And five accidents in five years making it the worst in the State - it is an astonishing claim which doesn't ring true to me!

Posted by: Paul Ainsworth at 17-12-2009 16:01

Seaforth fence

And of course the cost of the fences (there are 4 planned) will be a total waste of taxpayer money.

Posted by: Andrew L. Urban at 17-12-2009 16:02

Seaforth Pedestrian Fence

Mike

Anything you can do to stop this monstrosity would be welcome. Can understand the need where the median strip is 1/2 mtr wide as in Cremorne in Neutral Bay, but not at Seaforth where the wide and well planted median strip provides a safe haven between traffic flows. I think most if not all the the pedestrian accidents to date happended at the lights or the kerb, so would have ocurred anyway, and a fence will not prevent anymore accidents.

What's proposed is an uneccesary eyesore and inconvenience that will cost a fortune and save no-one from injury. A fine example of a quango with a huge budget looking for things to spend it on.

Posted by: Tim Howard at 17-12-2009 16:02

Seaforth fence.

Please let the RTA get on with its job of improving road safety.

Posted by: R. Sansom at 17-12-2009 16:14

Seaforth fence.

Instead of just asking for this assurance, Mike would do better to ask for the list of alternative remedies that were considered.
I expect that list is *vanishingly* short.

Posted by: Alicia at 17-12-2009 16:44

Seaforth

As has been pointed out by many people - if the proposal to redevlop Seaforth TAFE site a few years ago had gone ahead then a fence would probably not be considered. I fear for the shop keepers of Seaforth - there is increasingly less to draw shoppers there over and above the Totem -

Posted by: Digby Hughes at 17-12-2009 17:38

Safety Fence

The Seaforth �pool fence� to be installed on the median strip cutting the village in half is not unique to Seaforth. Residents of Mona Vale have just received a flyer notifying the same ridiculous fence is to be installed for nearly a 400m stretch along Pittwater Road at a cost of $300,000. The flyer signed by Hilary Johnson states the fence will be installed February next year as a result of �a history of pedestrian crashes yet no figures are given on this. The RTA are a LAW unto themselves, don�t care what the community thinks and both Seaforth and especially Mona Vale do not need these abhorrent metal barriers dissecting the villages in two. Where will it stop every shopping centre in NSW will end up with such a fence if the RTA continues with this ridiculous idea.

Posted by: Ross Smith at 18-12-2009 05:16

Spit road

I have written to RTA regarding the right hand turns on Spit road.When is anyone going to do anything that will help the traffic flow better.Instead of the few people this may inconvience.What about the majority that have to suffer every day.What have you done to help

Posted by: Warren Hart at 18-12-2009 08:42

response to Warren

Hi Warren, I understand your frustration - happy to discuss face to face if you would like to call Annabel in my office to arrange a time to meet? 9976 2773
cheers
Mike

Posted by: Mike Baird at 18-12-2009 09:01

fences at Seaforth

I drive through Seaforth often, and find it nervewracking as I never know when a pedestrian is going to throw him or herself under my wheels. There are the lights to cross at, which everyone should use instead of bolting across 4 lanes of traffic, but maybe a reasaonable compromise is to put a pedestrian crossing at the eastern end and a gap in the fence there.

Posted by: Craig Boaden at 18-12-2009 13:31