A resident of the Byron Bay hinterland says Byron Shire Council has ‘dragged its feet for a year’ over a dangerous stretch of Coolamon Scenic Drive near St Helena hill.
The section of road is located about 100 metres past the house with the old petrol bowser out front.
Brad Garnham told The Echo that it is particularly dangerous owing to it being the first tight corner when travelling west from the highway.
‘The evidence of multiple and regular wet-weather single-vehicle accidents here should be more than ample motivation for the council to sort it out. It’s a disgrace that nothing has been done here’.
Mr Garnham says he followed up his initial contact with Council a few months later but no action has been taken. He said, ‘Disturbingly it’s been 12 months since I lodged the alert.’
‘I also followed up via phone, with a person who heads the road repair department (I’m not sure it really exists) about two months after this application after yet another car crashed off the road here.’
Mr Garnham says the section of road is particularly slippery owing to the oily surface of the road and needs a resurface.
‘At speed, you could comfortably take a similar radius turn in the wet. But this corner offers much less grip.
‘[Council] have merrily resurfaced sections between Federal and Eureka for example, that pose nothing more threatening than the irritation of it being slightly bumpy.’
‘Currently it’s only a matter of when, not if, someone is injured or killed.’
The Echo asked Council staff for comment twice but there was no response.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
