A key thoroughfare in a Sunshine Coast town will get a safety upgrade after residents rallied behind a petition.
The state’s major parties have committed $950,000 to install a pedestrian crossing on Factory Street at Pomona.
The LNP made a pledge last week, before Labor made its promise on Monday.
The commitments came after scores of people backed a petition for pedestrian crossings on Factory Street and Hill Street.
More than 250 signatures were added to the e-petition to state parliament for ‘Safe pedestrian zebra crossings in Pomona’. The request was made via principal petitioner Nick Cooke and sponsored by local state MP Sandy Bolton.
“These roads experience a high volume of traffic, including large 40-tonne quarry trucks from the Kin Kin Quarry, posing significant safety risks,” it stated.
“Currently, there is no safe method for pedestrians to cross, resulting in a dangerous divide that hinders cross-town connectivity.
“There is a dog park and kindergarten on Hill Street, as well as a school bus stop on Factory Street.”
“Children and families must navigate these busy roads without safe crossings, heightening the risk of accidents.”
The request stated that there were obvious concerns in the area, as a recent review led to a reduced 50km/h speed limit on Factory Street.
The LNP subsequently promised it would deliver a crossing on Factory Street if elected later this month.
The LNP’s candidate for Noosa and former Noosa mayor Clare Stewart said the planned $950,000 investment was worth it.
“As a mum of school-aged children, I completely understand the concerns many parents have raised with me over many years,” she said.
“Children, commuters and shoppers all are forced to run the gauntlet of cars and trucks just to cross the road. With increased traffic due to population growth and heavy haulage transiting through the town, local residents have been calling for the project for many years.”
The state government then stated that it would build a pedestrian crossing at Factory Street. Labor candidate for Noosa Mark Denham made the announcement on site.
“This $950,000 commitment for the construction of a pedestrian refuges crossing at Factory Street is a great win for the local community,” he said. “This is an increasingly busy crossing, with schools, shops and public transport nearby.”
Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath said the infrastructure was important for the area.
“We know the Sunshine Coast will only continue to grow, so it’s fantastic that this crossing has been identified and now, funded,” she said.
A Department of Transport and Main Roads spokesperson told Sunshine Coast News last week that TMR was “committed to maintaining Kin Kin Road, including the section known locally as Factory Street.”
TMR had previously held discussions with Noosa Council and agreed the location was a “current priority” for pedestrian infrastructure.
The spokesperson also said the state government had invested heavily on road safety in the region.
“Over the past three financial years, TMR has delivered approximately $36.8 million of transport and roads investment specifically on Kin Kin Road,” they said.
“A further $37.7 million has been programmed for this road in the recent Queensland Transport and Roads Investment Program funding announcements.”
The aerial imagery in this story is from Australian location intelligence company Nearmap. The company provides government organisations, architectural, construction and engineering firms, and other companies, with easy, instant access to high-resolution aerial imagery, city-scale 3D content, artificial intelligence data sets, and geospatial tools to assist with urban planning, monitoring and development projects in Australia, New Zealand and North America.
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