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The
Daily Examiner, January 2018: "Coffs/Clarence Local Area Command duty
officer Acting Inspector Darren Williams said the collision was between two
Queensland registered B Double trucks at 10.15pm Tuesday night when the
northbound heavy vehicle collided with the other heavy vehicle heading south
while attempting a left-hand bend near the beginning of the 50kmh speed zone."
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Ulmarra is a picturesque Clarence Valley village which was established in 1857 and which served as a river port in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Many of its buildings are heritage-listed.
Unfortunately
for the folk who live there the busy Pacific Highway runs through one section
of this village and the lives of residents in that section are dominated by the
movement of heavy road transport vehicles – and will continue to be so since it was revealed that the Ulmarra Bypass (due for completion in 2020) will not remove B-Double trucks and 'semis' from what will then be the old Pacific Highway.
This year
the village successfully campaigned for an extension of the lowest speed limit and a speed camera to slow these big trucks down….
The Daily Examiner, 17 November 2018, p.4:
January 3
Two trucks collide on
the southern end of Ulmarra the night before. From a visit to where one of the
trucks has come to rest within metres of a home, it’s clear how lucky a young
family are to be alive. That afternoon, The Daily Examiner team
decides to launch the Let’s Not Wait campaign.
January 5
Ulmarra residents meet
with The Daily Examiner at the latest crash site to share years of
horror stories from living beside the Pacific Highway. The Daily Examiner Let’s
Not Wait campaign is officially launched.
January 10
Clarence MP Chris
Gulaptis comes out in support of Ulmarra residents and begins discussions with
the Minister for Roads and Maritime Services Melinda Pavey.
January 23
A front-page photo of
Ulmarra resident Ryan Brown holding up a speed radar gun gets the attention of
national media and the campaign is thrust into the national spotlight when
Channel Nine’s Today show visits the village.
January 26
Following increased media
attention, Mr Gulaptis and Roads and Maritime Services representatives meet
with Ulmarra residents to discuss long and short-term solutions.
January 30
A tirade of threats and
vulgarity is directed at Ulmarra residents through both online bullying and rogue
truck drivers intentionally sounding their horns while passing through the
village at night.
February 21
Coffs/Clarence Highway
Patrol increase their patrols in and around the township to keep driver
behaviour in check.
May 14
Clarence MP Chris Gulatpis
announces the extension of the 50km/h speed limit zones following a review
conducted by Roads and Maritime Services.
June 18
Another truck crashes at
the notorious black spot. This time the accident comes within metres of the
Brown family home and causes a power outage from Brushgrove, to Tucabia and
South Grafton.
June 19
Clarence candidate Steve
Cansdell calls on the NSW Government to do more to protect residents and
motorists at the notorious black spot.
June 22
More members of the
Clarence Valley community rally behind Ulmarra, including former ambulance
officer Wade Walker who calls out RMS for failing in their duty of care to the
Brown family.
July 23
Ulmarra resident John
Leask accuses RMS of gross negligence in its handling of the Ulmarra black spot
in a scathing email sent to various government officials.
Another collision occurs
the same day, with two cars and a truck involved, near the southern end. No one
is injured.
July 25
Coffs/Clarence Highway
Patrol stop another potential crash when they find a fatigued driver after
pulling over a southbound truck reported as swerving along the road.
August 17
Residents capture CCTV
footage of a truck driver deliberately sounding their horn while travelling
from one end of the village to the other and this reignites online debate over
who is to blame for the behaviour.
September 5
Two truck drivers are
caught by Highway Patrol, one for speeding, and the other for sounding their
horn for a sustained period of time.
October 5
The truck driver
captured on CCTV footage in August deliberately sounding the truck’s horn while
travelling from one end of the village to the other is identified and charged
by police.
November 16
The speed camera is
switched on by residents of the Ulmarra community.
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