Road safety measures for the town of Urunga on the NSW Pacific Highway have been fast-tracked, after 11-year-old Max McGregor died when a truck slammed into his house.
But there remain many spots along the highway that are below standard and won’t be getting the extra safety measures, the NSW government concedes.
Four people have died in just two days on the major arterial road, which stretches for more than 670 kilometres along much of the NSW coast.
In Urunga on Sunday, David John Levitt, 38, died instantly when his ute and a banana-laden truck collided.
The 51-year-old truck driver was then forced off the road, ploughing into the home of Max McGregor, 11, who was crushed to death.
Investigations into the accident are continuing but police don’t believe speed was a factor.
On Monday, two people died when their car veered off the road and hit a tree, south of Kew.
But while Monday’s crash near Kew took place in an upgraded section of the highway, Urunga has yet to be upgraded.
In response, the government announced on Monday that it would introduce a raft of safety measures in the town, while it awaits the highway upgrade.
This includes the reactivation of a speed camera which was switched off last year following an auditor-general’s report.
NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay denied it was a knee-jerk reaction to the boy’s death, saying the measures had been included in a draft report on road safety after the cameras were turned off.
“It came through some time in the last couple of weeks and we fast-tracked it yesterday in consultation with the premier (Barry O’Farrell),” he told reporters on Monday.
The NSW opposition has slammed the government’s original decision to turn the camera off, saying other safety measures should have been introduced.
“This tragic accident in Urunga will make many people ask the question, ‘Why was the speed camera turned off without alternative safety measures being put in place first?'” opposition roads spokesman Robert Furolo told reporters on Monday.
According to preliminary data by the Roads and Maritime Services, 25 people died on the Pacific Highway between Newcastle and Tweed Heads in 2011, and 29 died in 2010.
By 2016, the government hopes to reduce fatalities further by transforming the entire length of the road into dual carriageway.
But before that takes place, Mr Gay conceded there remained “a lot of places” where the highway was “not up to standard”, which would not be seeing any of the safety measures to be implemented at Urunga.
“We are doing the best we can in upgrading safety on an interim basis,” he said.
“It gets to be a balance of resources.”
Federal Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese said an extra $6 billion would be needed to complete the ambitious project along the entire stretch of road.
The commonwealth has already contributed $4.1 billion while the state has put aside $1 billion.
“What we’ve said is both governments need to do more,” Mr Albanese told the Seven Network.
“Let’s end the politics, let’s have 50-50 funding.”
Opposition leader Tony Abbott said he was “very happy” to support the project and even happier if came at the expense of the National Broadband Network (NBN).
“It would be much easier to do this if they weren’t wasting money on the … NBN,” he said.
Mr Gay said further negotiations would be needed about funding arrangements.
Mr Levitt’s brother-in-law, Sean Finneran, remembered a kind father of two, who also worked as a tree surgeon.
“He’s a great guy. Biggest heart,” he told Seven Network, wiping away tears when asked if he would miss him.
Max’s emotional neighbour, Veronica Martens, who lives in Penrith in Sydney’s west, described being shattered by the bad news.
“All we’ve done is pretty much cry all day,” she told the network.
“You just don’t think something like this…. It’s just not supposed to happen.”
Max was dux of Jamisontown Public School and was due to start high school after the summer break.
“I think he was a little bit nervous. I think he was looking forward to it,” Ms Martens said.
His family reportedly returned to their Penrith home on Monday.
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