Goulburn's rail underpass to receive another warning sign

She strongly objected at Tuesday night's council meeting to ratepayers' footing the bill for two solar-powered vehicle activated signs being installed near the Sloane Street rail underpass.

The amount was $22,000 less than the height clearance bar solution on which councillors agreed in July, but it didn't pacify Cr Ferrara.

"I do think people should exercise commonsense," she told The Post.

"If you have a caravan, you should know its height and should be aware of where it can travel and not blindly follow the GPS."

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GPS systems are believed to be in part responsible for the "caravan airconditioner graveyard" at the underpass. Travellers frequently misjudge the 2.7-metre height clearance and lose their caravan's airconditioning unit when it hits the underpass.

In July, councillors agreed to spend $50,000 on two height clearance bars positioned 150 metres away from the two nearby intersections at Briadwood/Garroorigang Roads and Sloane Street/Mazamet Road. They would have supplemented 10 other warning signs around the bridge.

But since then, operations director Matt O'Rourke said staff had come up with a "more efficient and cost effective solution."

The activated warning system would flash when over-height vehicles approached. Unlike the height clearance bars, which could be damaged if hit, the warning system would only require "periodic maintenance of the electronics."

Mr O'Rourke noted that while there were already numerous warning signs around the rail underpass, caravaners were still losing their air-conditioning units.

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Cr Denzil Sturgiss said that on his way to Tuesday's meeting he saw a car towing a caravan turning around after missing the Garroorigang Road turn-off to travel under the bridge. It was then "awkward" for them to turn around.

"If you're going to put in the system then I'd like to see signs put up at each intersection either side of the bridge to warn people," he said.

But it sparked a frustrated reaction from Cr Ferrara.

"How many signs are there at a give-way intersection? (There are) two. If I miss that, is it my fault or the signs'?" she asked.

"We can litter this with signs and it won't matter. This motion is putting another one there. The flashing system may not stop them either."

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Mr O'Rourke replied that it was about striking a balance between public feedback of significant damage to caravans and responsible council action. Cr Ferrara voted against the motion, later saying the money could be better spent on the community rather than on tourists.

But she was the only one. Mayor Bob Kirk, Deputy Mayor Peter Walker and Cr Carol James voted in favour. The four other councillors were apologies for the meeting.

Cr Kirk nevertheless stressed the rail bridge had been there for 150 years and was only now causing problems. This was partly due to vehicles becoming bigger and people "less observant." But he backed the $28,000 work "in the interests of public safety."

"(But) I find it maddening that this community will foot the bill," he said.

Cr Peter Walker questioned whether rail authorities had been approached, given it was their bridge.

Mr O'Rourke replied that they undertook an inspection when there were incidents and were considering how they could contribute to a solution.

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