By Margaret Maccoll
The upgrading of Beckmans Road, Noosaville, deemed “a matter of urgency” in the Noosa Traffic Study to 2036 has turned from a construction requirement into a political football.
The study completed in January 2016 by Holland Traffic Consulting under Noosa Council contract recommends that the council pursue a duplication of the road by the State Government because “there is a Deed of Agreement in place for DTMR (Department of Transport and Main Roads) to undertake such works”.
Last week with a State Government election looming, candidates were making claims on the funding of the road which in carrying about 19,000 cars a day is considered by the study to have reached capacity.
And last Friday a 12-year-old boy was hit by a car while trying to cross the road.
Noosa MP Glen Elmes said with no money in the government budget for the project “the only way for it to be built is for it to be a political decision”.
Parents taking their children to school at Noosaville State School on Beckmans Road last week had mixed reactions to the road ranging from great concern to indifference.
“It’s ridiculous. People don’t slow down to 40km/h. I’ve been concerned about it for a couple of years,” parent Rachel Lutherborrow said.
Ros Stothart agreed “it was an issue” but doesn’t regard it as dangerous.
Several parents including Fiona Whitmore said they considered it too dangerous for their children to ride or walk to school along.
“It’s quite impossible to walk across the road at school (pickup and drop off) times,” Heidi Madeheim said. “Sometimes if there are no parks you have to park across the road.”
Kel Burn disagreed about it being dangerous but said “you get so much traffic at a certain time accidents can happen”.
Another parent, who didn’t want to be named, said in comparison to her home city of Melbourne it wasn’t “a big deal but was less than ideal. The upgrade is well overdue”.
With new houses being built in the area the traffic is expected to increase.
