On March 22, 2016 the Mercury reported that Transport for NSW (TfNSW) was conducting a traffic study in the area and it was due to be completed in May. Five years later, TfNSW published two options for Thirroul. The second option is clearways. How can this option be acceptable, given their recent impacts in Bulli and Woonona?
The first option, for a single through-lane optimised for continuous flow, is preferred by TfNSW. They claims the look and feel of the town will be maintained yet Thirroul will lose 65 car parking spaces along Lawrence Hargrave Drive (LHD). This will lead most shoppers to walk within inches of moving cars. Vehicles will veer close to gutters and footpaths as they steer around right turning vehicles. Some of the 50 or so shop keepers along LHD estimate their future loss of revenue at around 20 to 30%. Is this all for an estimated average 20 second faster transit? Surely there must be a less damaging solution that also addresses other basic concerns not addressed by these options.
Is this all for an estimated average 20-second faster transit? Surely there must be a less damaging solution that also addresses other basic concerns not addressed by these options.
Travelling north by road from Bulli, you enter Thirroul by crossing the single-lane Bulli Pass Bridge. This is the only practical vehicular access point to LHD. Then after one kilometre, LHD crosses the quaintly named Overhead Bridge. These bridges, 1km apart, are choke points. Within minutes of a minor accident, traffic stops and rapidly backs up along LHD. Gridlock occurs when either bridge is blocked. The only bypass is via Helensburgh, a 40km round trip.
Actually, a traffic accident anywhere from Bulli to Austinmer rapidly creates a concerning situation. People are easily trapped with their cars. What if this situation coincides with a bushfire, house fire or tsunami warning? Already, twice this year, small road accidents have locked up Thirroul, each time for over an hour.
Even the northern suburbs of Wombarra, Coledale and Austinmer have secondary access routes via Buttenshaw Drive. However, for these residents, if a medical emergency coincides with a gridlock event, an ambulance would come from Engadine then return to their nearest hospital, Sutherland. This is an hour-and a quarter round trip outside peak hours.
Is it not obvious a second road is the solution?
A second road is Council’s responsibility as TfNSW only looks after the arterial roads. With Council elections in three months, is it not time to ask Councillors if they will support an alternate road?
Though, in all fairness, shouldn’t Council call on State Government to help fund this solution, because their actions or otherwise, led to this problem? The half-kilometre-wide stretch of land that connects Thirroul and Bulli was developed by Stocklands around 2006 under new legislation that allowed State Government to control all large developments. The NSW State Department of Planning (DOP) supervised the planning process. At the time, calls by locals for secondary access were ignored and Wollongong City Council appears to have no say in the matter.
We also need to consider that Bradfield, Sydney’s third city centre, is being fast-tracked inland from Thirroul. Bradfield is five minutes closer to Thirroul than it is to Bondi or Cronulla. Large parts to the south of Bradfield are also being rapidly developed. So it is fair to say that a significant proportion of Sydney’s 2041 projected population of 7 million will have Thirroul as its closest beach. Given this increasing source of visitors, I fear that TfNSW proposal will rapidly become inadequate, then leaving a four-lane clearway along the horse track that is LHD as the only option.
There are at least five options for additional road access. Each option will upset some residents affected by increasing traffic on a residential road, however, the alternative is to perpetuate a growing risk to residents of the northern Illawarra and damage forever the character and commercial viability of Thirroul.
It is worth considering that outlying suburbs of Wollongong, like Balgownie, Port Kembla, Mt Kembla and Mt Keira at some time, like Thirroul, were linked to Wollongong by a single road. Over time road networks merged them into Wollongong. This is how cities grow. Road networking is the very fabric of a modern city. Thirroul became a suburb of Wollongong in 2005 yet remains isolated by single road access. Is it not time for our actual merger into Wollongong?
If you agree with this, can I suggest asking questions of your prospective Councillors and sending a big NO to southprojects@transport.nsw.gov.au before 5pm Friday, 9th July?
