Next week work will get underway on safety upgrades at a high risk intersection in Raymond Terrace with funding from the Rudd Labor Government’s Economic Stimulus Plan.

We have provided the RTA with $175,000 to upgrade the intersection of Richardson Road and Benjamin Lee Drive – the scene of 16 crashes in the last five years, with the majority of them involving a vehicle turning right from Benjamin Lee Drive colliding with a vehicle travelling along Richardson Road.

I congratulate the NSW Government for moving to put our economic stimulus money to work supporting jobs and fixing dangerous black spots on the State’s local roads.

The safety upgrade will involve:

• Painting new line-markings;


• Moving the stop line on Benjamin Lee Drive closer to the intersection and erecting a stop sign;


• Installing a concrete island on Benjamin Lee Drive; and


• Widening the left-turn slip lane on Richardson Road and moving it further to the side of the road to improve the line of sight for vehicles turning right out of Benjamin Lee Drive.

The new line-markings, a wider turning lane and a new concrete island will improve safety at this intersection.

This project was recommended by a panel of independent road safety experts.

The Black Spot program has a proven track record of saving lives with an evaluation showing that it prevented at least 32 fatalities and more than 1,500 serious injuries in its first three years.

Not only have we honoured our election commitment to increase on-going black spot funding by a massive 33 per cent, but we’ve also provided significant additional funding under our Economic Stimulus Plan.

It is unfortunate that this extra investment was opposed in the Parliament by the Liberal and National parties, including the Member for Paterson.