When BMCC staff briefed the Alliance on the three recommendations it was making to the Council in response to the Leura Local Area Traffic Management Study we were generally supportive. However, we had two requests that we believed were critical to delivering tangible benefits for the Leura community -

• We requested that in seeking approval to develop a plan of works for new pedestrian crossings in and around Leura Mall, that a commitment also be sought from Council to actually fund the work.
• We also asked that a recommendation be made to Council to schedule development of a comprehensive, long term traffic and parking plan for Leura that went beyond the “band aid” solutions proposed.

When the Alliance met with our three Ward 1 Councillors (ahead of the Council meeting where the aforementioned recommendations were to be discussed) we made the same two requests. Their response was positive and we had high hopes that we could achieve a better outcome from this disappointing exercise than what was on offer.

Regrettably, that did not happen. The three recommendations made by Council staff, which delivered no immediate outcomes, were submitted unchanged to the Council meeting and none of our Councillors sought to commit the Council to adopting the things we had requested. In fact, the recommendations were passed without debate.

I think all Alliance members will agree that this is simply not good enough. After a process that originally commenced in 2016, what have we got to show for it? A decision to do further consultation with residents of Railway Parade west of The Mall on possible safety solutions; a decision to do further research on the issue of coach management and; a decision to develop plans for additional pedestrian crossings but no funds to actually construct them.

What is worse, from our discussions with Council staff on the proposed additional pedestrian crossings, we feel there is a real risk that these will be over-engineered, costly and have potential to adversely impact the existing street parking and garden beds in The Mall.

Accordingly, we are calling on all our member organisations and supporters to express in the strongest possible terms their disappointment at the failure of Council (on all levels) to respond to the reasonable requests of the Leura community in respect of the Traffic Study.

To this end, we have attached some key points that you might like to use in voicing your concerns. We are suggesting that you write to the following:

• Mayor Mark Greenhill - mgreenhill@bmcc.nsw.gov.au
• Councillor Suzie Van Opdorp - svanopdorp@bmcc.nsw.gov.au
• Councillor Sarah Redshaw - sredshaw@bmcc.nsw.au
• Councillor Kevin Schreiber - kschreiber@bmcc.nsw.gov.au

Rod Stowe
Chair

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