Ulmarra community puts a win on the board concerning Pacific Highway blackspot

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."

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.

The people of Ulmarra, Glenreagh and Iluka need to act now if they wish to keep their local public pools or establish a new pool

The Clarence Valley Aquatic Facility Strategy, a Strategic Leisure Group draft report commissioned by Clarence Valley Council, has been released and will be considered at the Civil & Corporate Committee Meeting (C&CC) on 9 April 2013.

This report recommends closing both the Ulmarra and Glenreagh public pools rather than upgrading infrastructure or continuing routine maintenance.

This would force Ulmarra residents to brave the Pacific Highway and travel to South Grafton if they want regular aquatic exercise or a dip on a hot day and, send Glenreagh locals into the next local government area if they want to use the closest public pool.

Iluka is not well served by this report either as it recommends that a public pool capable of servicing the community far into the future not be established there at this time. Instead it suggests that Clarence Valley shire councillors might either look at a smaller pool option or send residents on a circuitous drive to Maclean’s public pool to take advantage of vaguely proposed discounted entrance fees.

When it comes to Yamba, the report also missed the golden opportunity to put forward the idea of creating a competitive-level pool which would attract state and interstate sporting events to the Lower Clarence.

While across the board it would appear that; Pool patrons indicated very strong satisfaction with existing pool managers and staff. Recommendations in relation to future management arrangements have been made including continuation of the existing contractor model but with reconsideration of the revenue sharing process.

Which flies in the face of contrary opinions held by some council staff, who may have possibly been too vigorous in pursuing their personal views.

Departing staff members have made their feeling known about one pool in tomorrow’s C&CC business paper as it states; Unfortunately Ulmarra pool is already on the priority list for significant works (resolution 13.036/11) and has $150,000 identified in the Delivery Program as a starting point… [my red bolding]

While admitting that; Glenreagh pool, by contrast, has recently had significant refurbishment which places it in a favourable position for at least 10 years.

Anyone interested in swimming as a recreational or sporting activity needs to make their own positions known to councillors as soon as possible or by the end of any public exhibition period should Council decide to place the draft report on public exhibition.