A notorious Bangalow road safety black spot where much-loved local man Paul ‘Campo’ Campton was killed in a hit-and-run crash is set for a major upgrade after Byron Shire Council secured around $1.6 million in NSW Government funding.
The money will be used for works around Raftons Road, including new footpaths, a pedestrian crossing over Paddys Creek and a raised pedestrian-priority crossing near the Bangalow Community Children’s Centre.
Councillor Jack Dods announced the successful grant at Thursday’s Council meeting, describing it as ‘really exciting’ news for a part of Bangalow where residents have long pushed for safer pedestrian infrastructure.
‘It’s a highly active local community full of kids in a residential part of Bangalow,’ Cr Dods said.
‘There’s no footpaths in the area.’
Council had already completed design work for a Raftons Road footpath but construction remained dependent on outside funding. Council documents from late 2025 show the project had been submitted to Transport for NSW’s Get NSW Active program while separate fatal-crash funding was being sought for shorter-term improvements.
Mr Campton’s death had triggered renewed calls for action at the Raftons Road, Keith Street and Leslie Street intersection, backed by a 638-signature community petition. At that stage, Council had plans for pedestrian improvements but no funding to build them.
Cr Dods said the new funding would allow Council to extend the footpath network, improve the Paddys Creek crossing and potentially continue the path towards Rifle Range Road, linking residential areas on Bangalow’s western side.
He said the grant was especially significant given Mr Campton’s death at the site.
‘It would be remiss of me not to also mention that sadly this was where Campo, who was a valued member of Bangalow, passed away in a hit and run some time ago,’ he said.
‘It really underscored how desperately we needed to upgrade the streets and the footpaths in that area.’
Council is expected to refine the designs in consultation with its Transport and Infrastructure Advisory Committee and the Bangalow Place Planning Collective before construction proceeds.
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