Cr Sharon Cadwallader, Ballina Shire Council
It’s certainly instructive when arterial roads are closed as with Angel’s Beach Drive recently, how traffic movements become choked and reasonable transit is obstructed.
With Lennox Head’s population predicted to expand at a minimum of 50 per cent over the next ten years (According to the 2011 census) and much of the population growth predicted in the infill areas to the west and south of the Lennox village, it surely seems logical for Council to bring forward its implementation of the planned North Creek arterial road extension via a new bridge through to the Ballina Byron Airport and beyond.
It is clear that with substantial traffic increases as a result of the myriad of new subdivisions approved or at final planning stages (Epiq, Reservoir, Elevation extension, Cumberland B and Stewarts Farm extension south of Headlands) that it is essential improved transportation corridors are brought forward to earlier completion schedule to ease the load on the Coast road and routes into the Ballina CBD.
I will be working hard in the next term of Council to gain agreement of an early adoption of the North Creek Rd extension and other common sense road development improvements to ensure that we avoid the debacle of a Byron Bay traffic predicament as we traverse between Ballina and Lennox Head.
We should all be looking ahead progressively to ensure our lifestyle and ease of movement between our developing population centres. I certainly intend to undertake this important mission.
North creek rd is busy enough as it is and certainly under equipped for high volumes of traffic that would come with a “short cut” to the industrial estate. There are blind spots at intersections and people treat it like Bathurst with the speeds they do over the top of the hill. Why not put some real foresight into the planning and put a proper bypass around the whole lot rather than a band aid fix through a residential area.
Matt from Lennox