Improving Road Safety

"Road safety is a shared responsibility"

Lachlan Shire Council plays an active role in road safety within our community by developing, implementing and evaluating practical solutions to help reduce road incidents.

Council continues to implement a number of successful road safety education programs, support engineering road safety solutions and work with stakeholders to address local issues.

Behaviour change projects targeting all aspects of road user safety have been designed and implemented.

Local Government Road Safety Program

A strong partnership has been formed with Forbes and Lachlan Shires, as well as Roads and Maritime Services, since the employment of our shared Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer in 2002, under the Local Government Road Safety Program.

The LGRSP represents a collaborative approach to achieving road safety in NSW.  Initiated in 1992, the program aims to involve local government and local communities in road safety planning and activities to contribute to the state wide effort of reducing the incidence and severity of crashes.

The RSIPO's role is to develop and implement local community road safety activities, with particular focus on behaviour change programs.  Over the past 15 years, it has become evident that RSIPO's have provided very successful in complementing local engineering solutions with the provision of local education and awareness campaigns.  This ability to focus on local issues is the key to the success of the program.

Our current Road Safety Action Plan (2017 - 2020), was developed to address a variety of road safety issues arising from local crash data, Council priorities, NSW Police information, community feedback and the road safety priorities set out in the NSW Road Safety Strategy 2012 - 2021.  These include;

• Heavy vehicle safety

• Child restraints

• Driver fatigue

• Young driver safety

• Drink driving

• Safety around schools

• Speeding

• Fleet safety and more

Council has adopted the 'Safe System' approach to improving road safety. This involves a holistic view of the road transport system and the interactions among roads and roadsides, travel speeds, vehicles and road users. It recognises that people will always make mistakes and may have road crashes—but the system should be forgiving and those crashes should not result in death or serious injury.

Council plays a key role in the 'Safe System'.  We provide local road infrastructure, support local enforcement activities and provide the community with road safety messages and information.  We deliver projects addressing local road safety issues to our community across the whole of the safe system; influencing safer people, roads, vehicles and speeds.

Link - http://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/index.html

Link - http://towardszero.nsw.gov.au/

Contact Details

Melanie Suitor

Ph: 02 6861 2364

Fax: 02 6863 5931

Email: melanie.suitor@parkes.nsw.gov.au

 Restricted Access Vehicles – Routes & Applications (Heavy Vehicle Routes)

The heavy vehicle operations are now regulated under the HVNL and National Regulations by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR). The Road and Maritime Services still provides information for heavy vehicle operators within NSW.

The NHVR processes applications for Restricted Access Vehicles (RAV) and requests Road Managers (RMS and Councils) for consent or refusal before determining the applications.

 

Council can deal direct with applications for Class 1 Restricted Access Vehicles, typically LC1 OSOM (Over Size Over Mass) low loaders but only for travel wholly within Lachlan Shire Council. 

The Following Links provide useful information of operators:

·         National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) https://www.nhvr.gov.au/

·         Road and Maritime Services www.rms.nsw.gov.au/business-industry/heavy-vehicles/index.html

·         Permit Notice www.nhvr.gov.au/road-access/access-management/applications-and-forms

·         Maps www.rms.nsw.gov.au/business-industry/heavy-vehicles/maps/index.html

Current Exclusions:  

1. Timber bridge at Island Creek on SR88 Fairholme Road, 30km east of Condobolin;
2. Bridge on SR189 Sheet of Water Road north of Curlew Waters;
3. Bridge on SR215 McInnes Road entry into Curlew Waters Estate;
4. Bathurst Street, Condobolin between William and Denison Streets; 
5. Marsden Street, Condobolin between William and McDonnell Streets; 
6. Foster Street, Lake Cargelligo, b/n Lorne and Canada Streets (bypass available).

Road and Travel Conditions:

1.       No travel if there is water over the road

2.       No travel if the road is closed, and no travel on unsealed roads if restricted to light vehicles up to 3 tonnes due to rain, or if other temporary restriction applies - listen to local radio stations or visit the Shire’s website www.lachlan.nsw.gov.au

3.       Maximum 80 km/h speed on all unsealed roads and on sealed roads where the seal is so narrow as to require travelling on the unsealed shoulder to pass another vehicle.

4.       No stopping or parking in urban streets within ten metres of a driveway for more than 15 minutes.

5.       No loading or unloading cargo in urban streets.

6.       No reversing into or out of a road or depot.

7.       The travel conditions required by Roads and Maritime Services will apply on Lachlan Shire Council controlled roads.

 

Vehicle Conditions

The vehicle conditions required by Roads and Maritime Services or NHVR will apply on Lachlan Shire Council controlled roads.

 

Any other conditions applied by NHVR or RMS to heavy vehicles using State Roads apply to Council managed local and regional roads.