Gunnedah Shire Council’s plans to make part of Chandos Street one-way in line with the relocation of the Visitor Information Centre has sparked a social media furore.

Gunnedah Facebook sites have been inundated by comments from outraged residents protesting about everything from a lack of consultation and parking changes, to the argument that residents north of Cohen’s Bridge will need extra fuel and time to go into town.

Gunnedah resident and business person Heather Fogarty and her daughter Catherine have been behind a push to protest the changes at 6am tomorrow.

“We are holding a peaceful sit-in showing people this has to stop and we don’t want to be treated like idiots,” Heather Fogarty said.

“We’re going to be there, and if we have to sit in front of those blinking vehicles, we will.”

Mrs Fogarty said she had objected to the decision to move the Visitor Information Centre in the beginning.

But she said she was shocked when she returned from a trip away to find work started on Chandos Street which would make it one way between Conadilly and Little Conadilly streets.

“I’ve gone ‘what!’ – when was the community consultation on this,” she said.

“I jumped on Facebook and next thing I am getting flooded by responses.

“I thought, ‘oh my God, it is more than just me who is cranky.”

Mrs Fogarty has contacted caravan and RV groups and said their responses had been that they did not want to have to travel along Conadilly Street.

“They said they would not drag 30-foot caravans down the main street,” Mrs Fogarty said.

“They said they would not be stopping in Gunnedah.”

She said she was fighting not only to stop work on Chandos Street, but to have the decision to move the Visitor Information Centre reversed.

Outside Mrs Fogarty’s business Montage Fotos in Conadilly Street is a sign displaying Facebook comments and photographs of the original and the new information centre sites.

Catherine Fogarty said there had been “heaps of interest” in tomorrow’s protest.

“I just think this is all a ridiculous waste of money and a ridiculous waste of resources,” she said.

Gunnedah Shire Mayor Owen Hasler said he would attend the protest if he was invited to do so.

“I hope people realise that any holding up of staff and work will come at a cost to ratepayers,” Cr Hasler said.

“Workers will be there from 7.30am.

“We’re prepared to wear a delay for a short period of time, but obviously not forever.

“If I am invited, I will go down, provided they are prepared to do this in a civil way.”

He said the work on Chandos Street and the relocation of the information centre should be completed by October 17.

Cr Hasler said now the decision had been made, council wanted the work completed as quickly as possible.

He admitted that the issue of making part of Chandos Street one way could have got lost in the wider Visitor Information Centre debate.

He said it was difficult to know which bits of the Jenny Rand & Associates report to highlight to residents, but the report had been made available.

As part of the option to move the information centre to the Civic, the report listed roadworks that needed to be completed, including making Chandos Street partly one-way.

The report included three one-way work options. Council chose the most basic and cheapest option.

Cr Hasler said when councillors voted to move the Visitors Information Centre, they adopted the work that came with it.

“This will give greater control of traffic in Chandos Street,” he said.

“This has been discussed for a number of years, including in 2010, when we talked about turning it into a mall at one stage.”

He said it was “ironic” that some of the people who did not want the information centre moved on the grounds of lack of parking near the Civic, were now arguing there was plenty of parking around Wolseley Park without making changes in Chandos Street.

“Yes, this will mean a change in our habits,” Cr Hasler said.

“There will be no change to traffic running north, it will be safer for people crossing the street from long vehicles.”

He said outside Visitor Information Centre hours, there would actually be more parking for users of the area including cinema-goers and tennis players.

Cr Hasler also dismissed concerns about changes to access to the town centre from residents coming in from Cohen’s Bridge.

“Fortunately, all vehicles have steering wheels and can easily be made to turn,” he said.

“Turning a block either way is not a traffic risk and will be a habit-changing requirement. People will get used to it.

“It will cause some minor inconvenience but I believe it will be a positive move for the precinct.”

He has called on people to give the changes 12 months before making up their minds. 

GUNNEDAH Shire Council has released a design map of the new-look Chandos Street that shows 30-minute parking will not be introduced.

Gunnedah Mayor Owen Hasler said a review of the original plan led to the decision 30 minutes was not long enough for people to visit the information centre and have something to eat.

General manager Eric Groth said there would be no loss of parking spaces on the Civic Centre side of Chandos Street.

Parking will be front-to-kerb, while parking on the other side will provide 12 long parallel parks during visitor centre hours, and existing reverse angle parking at other times. The visitor centre will be open between 9am and 5pm weekdays, and 10am to 3pm on weekends.

Mr Groth said contrary to a number of claims that had been made in the past few days, Roads and Marine Services (RMS) approval was not required for changes to Chandos Street because it was a local government road.

He said RMS approval would be required for signage on Conadilly Street.

Chandos Street work is expected to be  finished by Friday, September 19.

People who want further information can contact council’s customer service team on 6740 2100 or email council@infogunnedah.com.au