Gunnedah mayor Jamie Chaffey said a workshop to brief councillors on Chandos Street traffic changes was “the right thing to do”.
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The motion to hold the workshop detailing reasons behind the street alterations was passed at Wednesday’s council meeting.
But Cr Chaffey said the community should not expect a decision to arise from the workshop which was designed purely as educational and information tool for Gunnedah’s newly elected councillors.
“It will get everybody up to date with how [council’s] decision came about,” he said.
Earlier this week, first-time councillors Murray O’Keefe and Rob Hooke moved two motions requesting workshops, one of which was for Chandos Street.
Despite raising the motion, Cr O’Keefe, who resides on the Kelvin side of the river, said it didn’t take him long to adjust to the changes.
“Initially it was very annoying but I got used to [the traffic changes] quickly,” Cr Murray said.
The changes made in 2014 closed part of the road to two-way traffic, thus preventing southbound vehicles on Chandos from entering Gunnedah’s main thoroughfare, Conadilly Street.
Cr Hooke said the motion reflected feedback he received from parts of the community, including nearby business operators.
“A number of business people have approached me and said it’s an inconvenience to them,” he said.
Former mayor and now councillor Owen Hasler was in favour of workshops for information gathering purposes but said any proposed changes were another matter entirely.
“Getting the information is different from making a change,” he said.
The Chandos Street issue received plenty of community feedback this week, the majority who expressed their disapproval of the changes.
“Its a complete pain to everyone on the Kelvin side of the bridge when trying ti get to the centre of town,” one resident wrote on the NVI’s Facebook page. “Come on council we tried it your way but it doesn't work. Give us back town access, please.”
Another reader posted: “Waste of money changing it in the first place double waste changing it back just cut your losses and spend that money on something else.”
The councillors’ second motion passed involved an information workshop request detailing council’s decision to introduce landing fees at Gunnedah aerodrome.
The motion was passed, and like the Chandos Street workshop, would bring councillors up to speed with the previous council’s reasons for the new charges.
Full copies of reports relating to the decision and cost recovery options were also requested.
