Coverage of Cr Elia Hauge’s proposal to quantify tourism impacts on our local infrastructure goes to the heart of a long-ignored problem.
Byron Shire is carrying the infrastructure burden of a tourism economy that primarily benefits the state.
After Sydney, Byron is NSW’s second-largest tourism revenue generator, yet our hinterland roads are deteriorating year on year.
Little to no line marking, inadequate safety signage, poor surfaces all result in dangerous night-time conditions.
These are known systematic failures resulting in foreseeable road safety risks that have been raised with [Transport for NSW] TfNSW for years.
For too long, the state government has relied on deflection. That must end.
This study of tourism numbers and pressure on local infrastructure must deliver hard, defensible evidence – including funded independent road safety audits – to quantify the infrastructure deficit and the real safety risk being imposed on our community.
And when that evidence is delivered, there can be no more excuses.
Premier Chris Minns and Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison must act. The current model is simple but flawed: the state collects the revenue, while our local community carry the road safety risk, especially at night on underfunded and busted hinterland village connector roads.
Our regional state roads are gold standard, and yet our local Council roads are ‘developing nation’ standard at best. That imbalance is unacceptable, is unsafe and fails the duty of care pub test. The local community deserves safe hinterland village roads.
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. 
