Villagers win battle to keep speed camera after minister intervenes

http://smh.drive.com.au/motor-news/villagers-win-battle-to-keep-speed-camera-after-minister-intervenes-20110801-1i87x.html



Alexandra Smith, Jacob Saulwick
August 2, 2011
THE small village of Clunes on the far north coast has convinced the government to save its beloved speed camera.

The camera was one of the most lucrative in NSW, raising more than $1.2 million in fines this past financial year, but it was identified in an auditor-general's report last week as one of 38 cameras that had little impact on road safety.

It was to be turned off but after community outrage the Roads Minister Duncan Gay agreed to keep it yesterday.

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Two cameras that were also on the hit-list, outside Epping West Primary School on Epping Road and St Catherine Laboure Primary School on President Avenue in Gymea, have also been saved after lobbying by parents.

A spokesman for Mr Gay said the people caught speeding by the retained cameras would not be sent fines.

The cameras will act as a deterrent but they ''will operate only in warning phase'', the spokesman said. ''If a driver is caught by a camera … they are issued warning letters but not infringement notices.''

Clunes residents fought hard for a speed camera after a fatality and crashes on the town's main street and for a decade it has been slowing down the semi-trailers speeding through the town.

It was so popular, locals even lobbied the Roads and Traffic Authority for a second one.

The news comes as the NRMA vowed to travel the state to collect 10,000 signatures to force a debate in Parliament about redirecting revenue from speeding fines to improving road safety and funding extra highway patrol officers.

The Premier, Barry O'Farrell, has guaranteed to debate any issue in parliament that attracts 10,000 signatures.

The NRMA president, Wendy Machin, said if the government was serious about reducing the road toll then the revenue from speed fines should not be used for anything other than improving the safety of the roads.

"For years we've been calling for the revenue raised from traffic fines, in particular enforcement cameras, to be hypothecated to specific road safety measures such as funding road improvements, road safety education and more highway patrols across the state," Ms Machin said.

"We want the NSW government in its first term to legislate the hypothecation of the more than $140 million collected by speed cameras each year and the best way to make this happen is to get the 10,000 signatures we need to get this issue debated by Parliament.''