Council will review traffic issues in Carters Rd, Lake Munmorah, with a view to starting works that could include intersections, parking and signage changes this financial year.
Mayor Jane Smith said Carters Rd needed a traffic solution to cater for the two primary schools, two high schools, an early childhood centre and the growing population in the area. “The community can be assured that Council is listening to and we will work with the local schools, residents and the State Government to implement a solution this year.
The latest resolution was in response to a report from council staff regarding a March 12 resolution to commit to funding a feasibility study which investigates the costs of options to address Carters Rd’s ongoing issues in the 2018/19 budget. The March resolution was put by Clr Jillian Hogan with the aim of kick-starting work on Carters Rd as soon as possible. She also asked to receive advice from staff about what stage the Lake Munmorah Masterplan was at.
The staff response to the March resolution, instead of addressing the urgent need to improve Carters Rd, gave an update on the Masterplan. “We are trying to get Carters Rd going so we thank staff for their report but it is linked to the whole Lake Munmorah master plan,” Clr Doug Vincent said. “Council asked for Carters Rd to be fast-tracked and for some works to be progressed in this financial year, we wanted to see if council could source some funds,” he said. “We don’t believe it needs to be linked to the whole Munmorah master plan, we would like to see some progress here.”
Clr Hogan said: “I can’t state enough how much we need to make something happen at Lake Munmorah. “One of the reasons I stood for council was for those areas where our roads, our infrastructure is absolutely appalling,” she said.
Clr Hogan said improvements to Carters Rd were “the big ticket item we put in operational planning, and we keep debating things like airport which is never going to happen, and this is going to happen. “The community needs to see that there is something going to happen.”
Clr Greg Best said: “This has been a perennial issue for a decade or more. “This can be done independent of the master plan, those schools were put there without a masterplan so why can’t we put this road there without a master plan? “I think it needs to get on the map.” Council’s Strategic Planning Unit is currently in the planning stages of the Greater Lake Munmorah Structure Plan to develop a local land use framework that, in part, addresses relevant issues such as supply and demand factors, servicing and infrastructure provision, environmental values, housing diversity and ageing in place, connectivity, traffic and parking, safety, community infrastructure and the like.
Extensive consultation, including workshops with internal stakeholders to discuss matters such as transport infrastructure, road and pedestrian connectivity, has been undertaken in the development of this Structure Plan. A peer review by internal Business Units has been undertaken, and Councillors will be briefed prior to the draft Structure Plan being placed on public exhibition in September. It is anticipated that a timeframe for completion of the structure plan will be known at this time.
Source: Media release, Jul 9 Central Coast Council media Agenda item 5.2, Jul 9 Central Coast Council ordinary meeting Jackie Pearson, journalist