COLLIE RIVER VALLEY BULLETIN, FEBRUARY 16, 2023 7
Throssell St speeders concern Resident: It's an accident waiting to happen
SPEEDING, ignoring stop signs and the presence of trucks are dangerous traffic concerns in Throssell Street, according to members of the public. Greg Smith lives in the street and said he is concerned by vehicles that do not obey the 40 kilometre speed limit, includ-
ing trucks. He said the volume of trucks is a threat, and road trains do not stick to a speed limit. “They have to be going faster than 40 - it’s an accident waiting to happen,” he said. Mr Smith said he regularly sees people
WELCOMED: Craig Yardley, the Collie Shire’s new director of technical services, has received a warm welcome from the community.
Shire’s new technical director COLLIE Shire has a new director of technical services, Craig Yardley. In his new position, Mr Yardley will look after infrastructure such as parks and gardens, vehicles and some roads. Originally from Scotland, Mr Yardley has lived in Australia since 2010. He has been warmly welcomed into the Collie community. Mr Yardley said he has noticed the friendly nature of people in the shire, business owners and the wider community.
“The thing that stuck out the most is how friendly people are, everyone is very welcoming,” he said. While being in Collie is new, Mr Yardley is no stranger to the town’s attractions, having visited Black Diamond lake on many occasions. Mr Yardley said he is staying in short-term accommodation, as he struggles to find long-term options. He is looking forward to working in the wide range of areas his role will offer.
attempting to cross the street from the Visitor Centre and Baarnimarr Reconciliation Park. “Those trucks are too close together, they’re bumper to bumper sometimes,” he said. “It’s chaos. The danger factor in this street is phenomenal,” Mr Smith said. He said he has already witnessed many near accidents, and it is lucky that no one has been seriously injured. However, he said a disregard for the speed limit is not limited to trucks. “It’s not only trucks that speed through - in the early mornings you see cars really flying along,” he said. Mr Smith believes there has been a dramatic increase in heavy vehicles in Throssell Street since global agribusiness company Bunge launched its Bunbury grain terminal in 2014. He said trucks use the road until 12.30pm, and start as early as 4am which is a disturbance for residents in the street. “The problem is, it’s a residential area, they should be stopped at night,” he said. He believes the number of trucks on the road could be reduced by using rail as a transport system. “Rail should go between Collie and West Arthur like it used to, where they have storage,” he said. He proposed another solution - the use of speed cameras and moving the speed limit signs. “When you get to the roundhouse, that should be 30 kilometres per hour, especially if that develops,” he said.
Collie Mowers and More owner Barry Piavanini said he views the issues differently. He said trucks are not the problem and are vital to transporting goods. However, he sees the Prinsep and Throssell Street intersection as the main problem. “I’ve observed many cars not stopping at the stop sign - they take off from the stop sign towards the Visitors Centre,” he said. “They don’t even come close to stopping. It’s not the trucks going through the stop signs,” he said. Mr Piavanini believes truck drivers can be trusted to operate to conditions and have their place on the road. “The people have a right to make a living,” he said. He said he believes the problems could be solved by an increased presence of police. “Why don’t the police set up down at the Visitor Centre and watch them rolling through the stop sign?” he asked. Acting Senior Sergeant Alan Dean said the Collie police are aware that people have a perception of vehicles speeding in Throssell Street. “Whilst there will be some who are breaching the 40km/h limit, the majority of drivers are in fact doing the right thing. “Naturally, we ask all drivers to be mindful of the fact that Throssell Street is a 40km/h speed zone, and that police will be conducting checks when possible,” he said.
Is parking a problem?
Opinions divided MANY locals took to social media last week to share their views on parking in the CBD. It followed the Bulletin’s story, Parking problem crosses line, where local business owner Deb Miller expressed her concerns about short term parking. Mrs Miller was concerned staff members park all day in short term parking and block trade to small businesses.
She said it was “common sense and basic consideration”, yet parking continues to be an issue in the CBD. There were mixed responses on social media, with some saying there is no problem, and others agreeing with Mrs Miller’s concerns. Below are some of the social media responses, some of which have been edited for readability:
Tracey Denholm: “While I agree somewhat - where should staff park? Since they did Central Park and got rid of all the extra parking, there is not enough parking for customers or staff on our main shopping street.” Janine Baker: “There’s not so much a parking problem - you can’t see the lines in Forrest Street.”
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Sami Duncan: “I have never ever in all the years I have lived near Collie had a parking problem. Why should staff park elsewhere?” Robin Walshe: “I have never had a problem finding parking, so I find this interesting.” Carolyn Mcloughlin: “If they live not too far from the shopping district, they should walk or ride a bike - it's good for your health, less congestion. Too many people these days are too lazy.” Lynda Phillips: “There's no problem with parking in Collie at all. It's a great little town. Some people just constantly have to complain. Look at all the positive things, rather than negative.” Pamela Wright: “The town has never looked so good. Thank you council, our town is beautiful, and parking is a problem in every town and city. I personally love the tourists coming to our town. It put Collie on the map instead of being known as a dirty coal mining town.”
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