As we have a new Roads Minister, Mr Michael Daley MP, I thought I would send an email.

Original Message -----
From: stephens1510
To: office@daley.minister.nsw.gov.au
Sent: Friday, November 21, 2008 10:47 AM
Subject: Beverly Hills School zone.

Dear Minister,
In July last year the RTA installed variable speed cameras at a school zone on King Georges rd Beverly Hills.
Even before the cameras were switched on I could see that because of the length of the school zone and many side streets entering it, that there would be carnage when they were activated, even though flashing lights are at both ends on King Georges Rd.
.
After an article in the local paper featuring a group of sad looking motorists holding up tickets I emailed the then roads minister Mr Roozendaal suggesting an extra set of flashing lights opposite Edgbason st to help South bound motorists (and make it safer for children, the whole idea for having school zones)
After 4 unanswered emails, I wrote to the Telegraph and then "coincidentally" an unhelpful reply came from Mr Roozendaal's office two days later.

30,000 infringements in the first three months would indicate that perhaps that more signage would be helpful.
To more easily illustrate the problem at Beverly Hills, I've brought forward the relevant page on my website
www.schoolzonesanta.com
Please have a look
We need road rule and to enforce them, but hammering average, unaware drivers is not the way to go.

More sixty signs and that extra flashing light unit at Beverly Hills, would go a long way in the public relations department.

Thank you for your time.

All the best in handling, what is a difficult portfolio.

Yours faithfully
Hans Stephens
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This reply came back a few days later.
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Original Message -----
From: Minister Daley's Office
To: stephens1510
Sent: Monday, November 24, 2008 9:34 AM
Subject: RE: Beverly Hills School zone.

Dear Mr Stephens,

Thank you for your email to the Hon Michael Daley MP, Minister for Roads.

The Minister has arranged for the matters raised to be examined and a response will be provided as soon as possible.

Office of the Minister for Roads

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To be continued.........

I've brought a couple of pages forward for anyone who logged on after seeing my letter in today's Leader.
(The originals can be found by clicking on "next page" bottom of page.)

I can't get links to work on this site, so it's all a bit difficult to follow.
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I don't really care who's in Government, as long as what they collect in charges and taxes isn't wasted.

As far as Railcorp is concerned just Google icac railcorp and ask yourself the question, could RailCorp be more diligent in seeing how their budget is spent?

Driving past the new Cronulla Railway Station car park, I noticed security cameras on poles in the car park, inside the spike topped 8 foot high security fence.

The locals call the high fenced car park "Stalag 13"

These are 4 of the 12 security cameras.

Why would you need 12, yes TWELVE cameras for a 30 car space car park surrounded by an 8 ft fence?

AND THERE'S MORE!!!!!

TO LOOK AFTER THE CARS OF RAILWAY STAFF, AS WELL AS THE FENCE AND THE 12 CAMERAS, THERE IS ALSO A 24 HOUR SECURITY GUARD.

Where are the machine gun towers?

The security guard doing his part to protect the sanctity of the car park.

Notice the cameras on the poles

I asked the security guard if there had been trouble at the carpark.

Yes someone had thrown stuff over the fence onto cars, but as the cameras point down at the cars not over the fence they weren't any help he said.

Does the construction company that installed the faulty gate pay for the security guard?

All the authorised users of the car park have an electronic tag that opens the automatic entrance gate

BUT....

It appears that there have been problems with this gate and it malfunctions and the guard is there to make sure that cars entering the car park are allowed to.

I was told that the gate malfunctions in the OPEN position.

Why the need for 12 cameras, is the law and order situation that bad in Cronulla?

Are we in Sydney or Baghdad?

I'll email the transport minister who is also happens to be the deputy premier and ask him.

If no result there, maybe Today Tonight or A Current Affair might be interested to show the voters where their money goes.

______________

----- Original Message -----
From: stephens1510
To: Deputy Premier
Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2008 9:34 PM
Subject: Cronulla station car park

Dear Mr Watkins,
The new Cronlla railway station staff car park which is surrounded by an 8 ft. high spike topped, steel security fence, now has 12 security cameras to watch over it's 30 car spaces.
Is law and order so bad in Cronulla that this number of cameras are needed inside an 8 ft fence? The locals call this car park "Stalag 13"
Railway staff of course need their cars looked after, but is it necessary to have a 24 hour security guard there as well as this 8 foot fence and 12 cameras?
I was told that the guard is there to check cars coming in when the automatic gate malfunctions.
It appears that the gate often doesn't close, so drivers have to prove right of entry.
Is the company that installed this faulty gate ( John Holland I believe) paying for this security guard?
If not, why not as it's their gate that malfunctions?
To have a man stand in a small car park around the clock in case the gate won't close is almost laughable, but the average person struggling to make ends meet wouldn't see the funny side.

Efficiently running a railway system and all that it entails is a huge undertaking, but the obvious waste of public money as this appears to be at Cronulla, doesn't look good.

Thank you for your time

Yours Faithfully
Hans Stephens

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A reply came back and my concerns would be "investigated.

...............................
And I’ve heard nothing since.

Then this came in the mail:

I didn't tick in the boxes marked
strongly disagree, disagree, somewhat agree, agree, strongly agree in a form with the above note, but instead mailed (not emailed) this:
......................................................................

Dear sir/madam,
I received the feedback letter enclosed in the mail today.
As I have had reason to question two things involving Railcorp, I don’t know to which the letter applied too.
Back in July I was concerned that it took six months to relocate the Sutherland station newspaper kiosk* and I rang railcorp a number of times and was told my query was being passed on.

I emailed the transport minister and received an email with:

“The matters you have raised will be investigated as quickly as possible and a reply will be forwarded to you.”

That was the 4 July and I’ve heard nothing since.

I didn’t wait to be “passed on” when ringing Railcorp in August, and went straight to the “top?” when I emailed the then Transport Minister.

I think perhaps that "the matters raised will be investigated" is the standard reply to emails like mine.

I sent the then transport minister photos I took at Cronulla Station and if you want you can see them a couple of pages back on

www.schoolzonesanta.com

I think having 12 cameras in a 30 car space staff car park surrounded by a 8 ft high security fence, is a news paper headline waiting to happen.

Could you can pass this letter on to someone would can explain to me the need for these seemingly excessive and (no doubt) expensive security measures

Yours faithfully
Hans Stephens

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Surprisingly this letter arrived
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alt="" />

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And dutifuly this
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*(The paper kiosk owner had the termerity to not meeky leave when told by Railcorp and even though Railcorp relented after adverse publicity, it still took 6 months to organize a 2nd bedroom sized room for this poor fellow.)

To be continued .......(while the twelve cameras remain.)

........................................................................
I predicted trouble on 25 July'07 on this site, and to a reporter at the St George and Sutherland Shire Leader.

I suggested to him that as an investigative reporter, he could ask the RTA why there wasn't a extra set of flashing lights (as there is on the other side of the road) going South, at Beverly Hills

Nothing happened and the camera installation was finished and they were switched on.

I saw this article in the paper, (by the same reporter), sadly as the leaders article shows, my concern made sense.

The RTA spokes person says that a repeater (school zone) SIGN was installed at Edgebaston St.

That's the sign that I wrote to the roads minister about on 3/9/07 and suggested to him that this sign, needed flashing lights.

Any long school zones should have repeater lights if there are side streets coming into the zone.

How many other drivers have been caught out at this school zone and are about to loose their licence?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I e-mailed this to the St George and Sutherland Shire Leader for the letters page.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear sir,
I question the need at all, for there to be a school zone along the whole length of the shopping strip at King Georges Rd Beverly hills.
("No warning on school zone"Leader 6/9/07)
With a fence and planter boxes, this area is virtually a divided road and with an over bridge, and traffic lights along it's length, there are ample places for pedestrians to cross safely.
Granted there is a school at both ends of the school zone, but why not have a zone at the school, not a single one over a kilometer long.
Last Monday 3rd Sept. in the morning school zone time, I counted the South speed camera light flash 34 times in one hour, as cars went past allegedly exceeding the 40 kmh limit.
Why would drivers do this, unless they were unaware that they were still in a school zone, yet nowhere near a school.
The RTA have put up a small "repeater " school zone sign at Egdbaston st, but it needs to be one with flashing lights.
On Tues 4 th Sept, I e-mailed Mr Roozendaal the roads minister requesting that this be done, I have not as yet, had any response.

Hans Stephens
---------------------------------------------------------------------
adding as a postscript to the e-mail
-------------------------------------------------------------------
I would love to have response by people who have been booked, and maybe help with getting the tickets looked at.
Can my web site name www.schoolzonesanta.com be added to my letter?
Regards Hans
...................................................................

After giving the highly paid brains at the RTA time to also notice the problem, I emailed the Roads Minister Mr Eric Roozendaal, as one phone call from him would get action that was needed, after all he was the Transport Minister and in charge.

//////////////
To: enquiries.roads@roozendaal.minister.nsw.gov.au
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2007 8:58 PM
Subject: school zone

Dear Minister,
I would like to bring to your attention a situation at a school zone on King Georges rd. Beverly hills.
There are flashing lights at this zone and now also a new set of speed cameras, but a lot of drivers don't realize that the whole shopping strip is a school zone.
Because it's such a long zone, (.9 klm) can a second warning light unit be added to the school zone sign that's half way, heading South towards Hurstville, similar to the one already on the other side of the road.

Without going on in detail here, my concern about this school zone is explained, with photos, on my web site www.schoolzonesanta.com

Thank you for your time

Regards Hans Stephens

//////////////
No reply, so I rang, and was told that I hadn't added an address
So I wrote again with full address and phone number.
//////////////

To: Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2007 7:47 AM
Subject: Re: school zone

Dear sir.
As the situation at the Beverly Hills school zone is only getting worse could you please have a look at the last couple of pages on www.schoolzonesanta.com

Thank you
Hans Stephens

/////////////////
This is the page on the day I sent the E-mail.
////////////////

What is needed at King Georges and Edgbaston Beverly Hills is get one of these flashing light units

and put it where this school zone sign is on the right

and I would say that would help with the school zone "speeding" for drivers heading south.

Drivers now just cruise down this divided road after traffic lights change at Morgan st forgetting all about the school zone.

JUST IMAGINE THE NUMBER OF DRIVER THAT WILL BE CAUGHT WHEN THEY TAKE AWAY THE LARGE TRAILER MOUNTED WARNING SIGNS

There need to be more 60 signs at Beverly Hills, especially one between Stoney Creek rd and the North bound camera.
It would be helpful for drivers and road safety that "60 ahead" signs be installed on either end of the zone, because it's 70 along most of King Georges rd and if an extra set of flashing lights had been installed at Edgbaston steet, I don't think the RTA and ultimately, Mr Roozendaal would have this problem.

//////////////
No reply, so I tried again.
//////////////

To: enquiries.roads@roozendaal.minister.nsw.gov.au
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2007 1:01 PM
Subject: Re: school zone

Dear sir ,
I have written and phoned but have as yet not heard back from your office.
I once wrote to Mr Costa and received a reply 6 months later from Mr Tripodi.
If you would like an update on the Beverly Hills school zone perhaps you could have a look at last nights entry on my website.
Things are better for motorists at the moment
www.schoolzonesanta.com

Thank you for your time.
Regards Hans Stephens
________________________________

I sent two more emails and didn't get a reply untill the day after I emailed the Daily Telegraph and this was in this morning's (Nov 8)letter's page.

The reply said they'd "look into it," and nothing has changed at Beverly Hills

I tried other ways of getting publicity

border="0" alt="" />

I helped the children by slowing down traffic.

The reliable cheap flashing lights that were installed at 4 schools, lights that are cheap in price, not quality and reliability.

These flashing lights that would be a boon for drivers and children's safety at school zones.

But as it's not made by a preferred (read expensive) contractor.

Will the RTA ever use them?

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I have emailed the new Transport Minister

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Original Message -----
From: Minister Daley's Office
From: stephens1510 [mailto:stephens1510@optusnet.com.au]
Posted At: Friday, 21 November 2008 10:48 AM
Posted To: DA_Office_Email
Conversation: Beverly Hiills School zone.
Subject: Beverly Hiills School zone.

Dear Minister,

In July last year the RTA installed variable speed cameras at a school zone on King Georges rd Beverly Hills.

Even before the cameras were switched on I could see that because of the length of the school zone and many side streets entering it, that there would be carnage when they were activated, even though flashing lights are at both ends on King Georges Rd.

After an article in the local paper featuring a group of sad looking motorists holding up tickets I emailed the then roads minister Mr Roozendaal suggesting an extra set of flashing lights opposite Edgbason st to help South bound motorists (and make it safer for children, the whole idea for having school zones)

After 4 unanswered emails, I wrote to the Telegraph and then "coincidentally" an unhelpful reply came from Mr Roozendaal's office two days later.
30,000 infringements in the first three months would indicate that perhaps that more signage would be helpful.

To more easily illustrate the problem at Beverly Hills, I've brought forward the relevant page on my website

www.schoolzonesanta.com

Please have a look

We need road rule and to enforce them, but hammering average, unaware drivers is not the way to go.

More sixty signs and that extra flashing light unit at Beverly Hills, would go a long way in the public relations department.

Thank you for your time.
All the best in handling, what is a difficult portfolio.

Yours faithfully
Hans Stephens

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

This has come back

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To: stephens1510
Sent: Monday, November 24, 2008 9:34 AM
Subject: RE: Beverly Hiills School zone.

Dear Mr Stephens,

Thank you for your email to the Hon Michael Daley MP, Minister for Roads.

The Minister has arranged for the matters raised to be examined and a response will be provided as soon as possible.

Office of the Minister for Roads

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To be continued .....

The "South" speed camera at Beverly Hills, the "high visibility one" hidden behind a post has gone A.W.O.L.

.

Don't tell the near new "state of the art" camera has broken down?

Didn't they have a spare one to replace it, while repairs were made.

And the over the road flashing light unit on the Princes Highway at the Blakehurst schoool zone going South, has been inoperative for over one week, and counting

Luckily there is the expensive spare one there.

The NSW Transport Minister Hon. David Campbell asked the RailCorp boss Mr ROB Mason to answer a couple of my questions questions on his behalf and he has sent a reply today.
In my original email to the last Transport minister, I asked why there needs to be 12 security cameras in the new staff car park at the Cronulla Railway Station, and who is paying for the 24 hr security guard at the car park, who's there because the new electronic gate is faulty.

Does this email answer those questions?

I have a couple more questions,

Why on Oak road by the Kirrawee Raiway Station on Tuesday morning, were there 3 green safety vested traffic controllers on a 25 meter section of well signposted "one way" section of road?

This piece of roadway has been one way for months, not alternating, but one way..

This is O,H and S gone mad, and at what cost?

Why has the cost of the Rail Duplication project gone up from
$106 million to $341 million and is 2 years behind schedule?

What's the big deal with three men looking after traffic?

No big deal in isolation, but extrapolate this excess all over the network and then add up the cost.
_______________

Traffic Control a growth industry?

This truck I spotted in Peakhurst and they could be importing stop/go men from Queensland going by the license plates.

Less than two weeks after it failed and was repaired this flashing light unit at Blakehurst was off the blink again last week and this afternoon it is still not working.

(old photo same problem)

Over engineer and this is what happens.
The M5 East Tunnel has been closed twice recently because of computer problems, and "needs a major upgrade"
I bet they put "State of the art" stuff in there and only a few years later it needs major work.

Today I did a job in Botony and was heartened to see very clearly flashing lights on a school zone sign approaching Daphne St on Botony Rd.

It was on the right hand side of the road and the sign was ANGLED TOWARD the traffic.

At last I thought, they have not installed the sign at right angles to the kerb as per the manual.

Not on your Nellie, the way to face the sign toward the traffic is not to move one post a bit, you have to fashion a special bracket,(no doubt at great cost) and then I suppose with 3 trucks, 10 blokes and 20 witches hats, the jobs done

You have to keep those posts neat.

I have a thing about waste.

Why spend a fortune on solar powered school zone flashing lights when there is a proven cheaper alternative availiable.

Driving past the new Cronulla Railway Station car park, I noticed security cameras on poles in the car park inside the spike topped 8 foot high security fence.

The locals call the high fenced car park "Stalag 13"

These are 4 of the 12 security cameras.

Why would you need 12, yes TWELVE cameras for a 30 car space car park surrounded by an 8 ft fence?

AND THERE'S MORE!!!!!

TO LOOK AFTER THE CARS OF RAILWAY STAFF, AS WELL AS THE FENCE AND THE 12 CAMERAS, THERE IS ALSO A 24 HOUR SECURITY GUARD.

The security guard doing his part to protect the sanctity of the car park.
Notice the cameras on the poles

Where are the machine gun towers?

All the authorised users of the car park have an electronic tag that opens the automatic entrance gate

BUT....

It appears that there have been problems with this gate and it malfunctions and the guard is there to make sure that cars entering the car park are allowed to.

I was told that the gate malfunctions in the OPEN position.

Does the construction company that installed the faulty gate pay for the security guard?

Why the need for 12 cameras, is the law and order situation that bad in Cronulla?

Are we in Sydney or Baghdad?

I'll email the transport minister who is also happens to be the deputy premier and ask him.

If no result there, maybe Today Tonight or A Current Affair might be interested to show the voters where their money goes.

______________

----- Original Message -----
From: stephens1510
To: Deputy Premier
Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2008 9:34 PM
Subject: Cronulla station car park

Dear Mr Watkins,
The new Cronlla railway station staff car park which is surrounded by an 8 ft. high spike topped, steel security fence, now has 12 security cameras to watch over it's 30 car spaces.
Is law and order so bad in Cronulla that this number of cameras are needed inside an 8 ft fence? The locals call this car park "Stalag 13"
Railway staff of course need their cars looked after, but is it necessary to have a 24 hour security guard there as well as this 8 foot fence and 12 cameras?
I was told that the guard is there to check cars coming in when the automatic gate malfunctions.
It appears that the gate often doesn't close, so drivers have to prove right of entry.
Is the company that installed this faulty gate ( John Holland I believe) paying for this security guard?
If not, why not as it's their gate that malfunctions?
To have a man stand in a small car park around the clock in case the gate won't close is almost laughable, but the average person struggling to make ends meet wouldn't see the funny side.

Efficiently running a railway system and all that it entails is a huge undertaking, but the obvious waste of public money as this appears to be at Cronulla, doesn't look good.

Thank you for your time

Yours Faithfully
Hans Stephens

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A reply came back and my concerns would be "investigated.

Then a questioner came back from Railcorp asking how my complaint was handled,

I didn't tick in the boxes marked
strongly disagree, disagree, somewhat agree, agree, stongly agree in a form with the above note, but instead mailed (not emailed) this:
......................................................................

Dear sir/madam,
I received the feedback letter inclosed in the mail today.
As I have had reason to question two things involving Railcorp, I don’t know to which the letter applied too.
Back in July I was concerned that it took six months to relocate the Sutherland station newspaper kiosk and I rang railcorp a number of times and was told my query was being passed on.
I emailed the transport minister and recieved an email with:

“The matters you have raised will be investigated as quickly as possible and a reply will be forwarded to you.”

That was the 4 July and I’ve heard nothing since.

I didn’t wait to be “passed on” when ringing Railcorp in August, and went straight to the “top?” when I sent this email to the then Transport Minister.

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----- Original Message -----
From: Deputy Premier
To: stephens1510
Sent: Friday, August 22, 2008 11:00 AM
Subject: RE: Cronulla station carpark

Dear Mr Stephens,

Thank you for your email. We appreciate the time you took to send us your comments.

The matters you have raised will be investigated as quickly as possible and a reply will be forwarded to you.
Yours sincerely,

Jenny Johnson
Private Secretary
Office of John Watkins MP
NSW Deputy Premier
Minister for Transport
Minister for Finance
Ph: 9228 4866
Fx: 9228 4855
Em: dp.office@watkins.minister.nsw.gov.au
www.nsw.gov.au
www.131500.com.au
..................................................................
And I’ve heard nothing since.

I think perhaps that this is the standard reply to emails like mine

I sent the then transport minister photos I took at Cronulla Station and if you want you can see them a couple of pages back on

www.schoolzonesanta.com

I think having 12 cameras in a 30 car space staff car park surrounded by a 8 ft high security fence, is a news paper headline waiting to happen.

Could you can pass this letter on to someone would can explain to me the need for these seemingly excessive and (no doubt) expensive security measures

Yours faithfully
Hans Stephens
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

(to be continued)

I've driven past the very safe Cronulla Station staff car park twice this week and I didn't see the security guard, maybe the gate has been fixed.

UPDATE Cronulla
This came in the mail

I didn't tick in the boxes marked
strongly disagree, disagree, somewhat agree, agree, stongly agree in a form with the above note, but instead mailed (not emailed) this:
......................................................................

Dear sir/madam,
I received the feedback letter inclosed in the mail today.
As I have had reason to question two things involving Railcorp, I don’t know to which the letter applied too.
Back in July I was concerned that it took six months to relocate the Sutherland station newspaper kiosk and I rang railcorp a number of times and was told my query was being passed on.
I emailed the transport minister and recieved an email with:

“The matters you have raised will be investigated as quickly as possible and a reply will be forwarded to you.”

That was the 4 July and I’ve heard nothing since.

I didn’t wait to be “passed on” when ringing Railcorp in August, and went straight to the “top?” when I sent this email to the then Transport Minister.

----- Original Message -----
From: stephens1510
To: Deputy Premier
Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2008 10:34 PM
Subject: Cronulla station carpark

Dear Mr Watkins,
The new Cronulla railway station staff car park which is surrounded by an 8 ft. high spike-topped, steel security fence, now also has 12 security cameras to watch over it's 30 car spaces.
Is law and order so bad in Cronulla that this number of cameras are needed inside an 8 ft fence? The locals call this car park "Stalag 13"
Railway staff of course need their cars looked after, but is it necessary to have a 24 hour security guard there as well as this 8 foot fence and 12 cameras?
I was told that the guard is there to check cars coming in when the automatic gate malfunctions.
It appears that the gate often doesn't close, so drivers have to prove right of entry.
Is the company that installed this faulty gate ( John Holland I believe) paying for this security guard?
If not, why not, as it's their gate that malfunctions?
To have a man stand in a small car park around the clock, in case the gate won't close is almost laughable, but the average person struggling to make ends meet wouldn't see the funny side.

Efficiently running a railway system and all that it entails is a huge undertaking, but the obvious waste of public money as this appears to be at Cronulla, doesn't look good.
Thank you for your time

Yours Faithfully
Hans Stephens

8 Wylie St.
Kirrawee
NSW 2232 Phone 0403022559

I was emailed this reply (By coincidence the same as the July one with only the heading changed )

----- Original Message -----
From: Deputy Premier
To: stephens1510
Sent: Friday, August 22, 2008 11:00 AM
Subject: RE: Cronulla station carpark

Dear Mr Stephens,

Thank you for your email. We appreciate the time you took to send us your comments.

The matters you have raised will be investigated as quickly as possible and a reply will be forwarded to you.
Yours sincerely,

Jenny Johnson
Private Secretary
Office of John Watkins MP
NSW Deputy Premier
Minister for Transport
Minister for Finance
Ph: 9228 4866
Fx: 9228 4855
Em: dp.office@watkins.minister.nsw.gov.au
www.nsw.gov.au
www.131500.com.au
..................................................................
And I’ve heard nothing since.

I think perhaps that this is the standard reply to emails like mine

I sent the then transport minister photos I took at Cronulla Station and if you want you can see them a couple of pages back on

www.schoolzonesanta.com

I think having 12 cameras in a 30 car space staff car park surrounded by a 8 ft high security fence, is a news paper headline waiting to happen.

Could you can pass this letter on to someone would can explain to me the need for these seemingly excessive and (no doubt) expensive security measures

Yours faithfully
Hans Stephens
....................................................................

MEDIA RELEASE
9 September 2008

STATE GOVERNMENT BUDGET SHORTFALL

The State Government claims to have a $1B hole in its budget.

In September 2007, whilst Roads Minister, incoming Treasurer Eric Roozendaal approved expenditure of $46.5M for school zone flashing lights at 400 school zones. That equates to $58,000 per school zone sign.

There are 11,000 school zones in NSW or 22,000 signs. At $58,000 per sign that means installing flashing lights at all school zones, which is needed, would cost $1.3B.

The eight sets of flashing lights that were installed in Peakhurst and Lugarno in 2006 cost $350 each. They have now been operating with 100% reliability and accuracy for over two years, surpassing all of the RTA's overpriced systems.

Instead of cutting back on essential infrastructure the Treasurer should instruct the RTA to adopt cheaper technology, such as the above, which they have been given to use free of charge. They could install such technology on all 22,000 school zone signs for $8M, plus installation costs.

Peter Olsen

_______________

But will the "brains" at the RTA use this common sense approach?

Driving South 23/9/08 on Botony road Mascot at the speed camera equipped school zone,the one near Gardiners road that has the expensive "RTA preferred flasing lights" it was best not to rely on them to tell when you that it was school zone time, because that set was not working at 2.45pm

Speaking of reliable lights, this letter was in the Leader the same day

You forgot to mention Peter, that the camera is at the bottom of the long hill AND is hidden behind the post to make it even more profitable.

Hardly the "high visability" speed camera the RTA use that Mr Roozendaal was talking about.

Going South on King Georges rd Blakehurst the over road overhead flashing lights were not working.

I took the photo from the right lane because even though the middle median sign is just past the bend, to angle the sign more toward oncoming traffic so the flashing lights can be better viewrd by all three lanes apparently is just too difficult to do.
No, the installation manual says it has to be at right angles to the kerb, so that's how it goes.
Just like the one (photo below) at the car wash down the road which is happily flashing away toward a Chinese restaurant not the traffic.

Even though this expensive flashing light unit is nigh on useless as they are installed at right angles to the road as per instructions, it does look neat and proper, to hell with common sense.

Another one bites the dust.

Same school Zone as in previous page, but this is on the Princes Highway going South at Blakehurst.

Isn't it lucky that they have an expensive independant spare set of lights there.

A bit of old news I found.
...........................
Kogarah Municipal Council Page 19
Regular Council 14 March 2005
N. General Business
Cr Mark Coure mentioned his intention to move the following motions at the next
Council Meeting:
1. That Council write to the RTA and the Minister for Roads about investigating the
installation of flashing lights on top of the speed cameras located on Princes
Highway and have them flashing during school drop of and pick up times.
..........................................................................

ON TOP OF THE SPEED CAMERAS? WHAT WAS HE THINKING.

..........................................................................

Sophie Delezio's father lashes out at Labor

The father of car crash survivor Sophie Delezio (above) has criticised the NSW Government for failing to spend enough money on putting flashing lights in school zones.

Ron Delezio, whose daughter suffered horrific injuries in two separate accidents, joined the NRMA in accusing the Government of taking too long to roll out technology that could save lives.

Sophie was struck by a car at a pedestrian crossing outside her school on Frenchs Forest Road at Seaforth, in Sydney's north, in May 2006.

The accident happened less than three years after she was badly burned when a car burst into flames after slamming into her child-care centre on Sydney's northern beaches.

Last year, the State Government promised to spend revenue from speed camera-related fines on installing the lights at 100 schools a year for four years.

Figures released during this week's Senate estimates hearing showed that the Government had taken $45 million in revenue from the cameras.

Mr Delezio and the NRMA say the Government should spend all of this revenue on flashing lights, which would allow them to be rolled out at all 400 schools in a single year.

"It's the Government's responsibility to make these roads safe for our kids and if they're not spending all the money from speed cameras, well why aren't they?" Mr Delezio said while standing in front of his daughter's school at Balgowlah Heights.

"I know what it's like to have your child hit on the road - how devastating that is. We don't want to see other drivers be responsible for knocking other drivers down.

"It's a proven fact that flashing lights around school zones do slow down drivers. You've got enough things to worry about when driving a car nowadays ... the majority of motorists who do speed through a school zone don't do it on purpose. The Government needs to help these people go through school zones at the correct speed."

Ninety-five per cent of schools in NSW do not have flashing lights installed.

NRMA Motoring and Services director Geoff Toovey said the technology needed to be installed at all schools across the state, not just those where it was needed most.

Roads Minister Michael Daley said last month the lights had been installed at 61 schools, with a further 39 to be installed by the end of the year.

He said a trial last year indicated the flashing lights slowed motorists down by an average of 7kmh when they entered a school zone.

The flashing light unit on King Georges rd going South at Blakehurst has been out for at least a week now and the one on the Highway going South wasn't operating yesterday afternoon school zone time.

UPDATE: 26 OCT They are both working now.

While waiting to get off my crutches (see Jan 08 Archives Right colum) I used my spare time to try and get another matter looked at.

When the Beverly Hills farce started, many drivers asked their Members of Parliament for help with not much result.

I naively did the same to see if I could prompt our leaders to show a bit of common sense.

I had this letter printed in the St George and Sutherland Shire Leader.

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A driver emailed me:

HI Hans

Pleased to report I won in court today.

regards
.......

I rang him for more information and he was told in court that to keep your points after getting a section 10 from the judge (who can see your argument), you have to write to the RTA and apply to keep your points.

The driver when he gets paperwork from the RTA will apply and see what happens.
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Very easy pull up in a visible spot in peak hour and instant exsposure

During the lead up to State Election 07