Council, in their wisdom, has approved the change that Marine Parade, from Turnock Street to Seaview Street, will become one-way, with all traffic in this area moving south to allow for the introduction of more parking spaces for visitors.
Sounds good until you consider the consequences for all the various users of Kingscliff’s ‘tourist hub’ facilities which include the beach for swimming and surfing, the eateries and retail outlets in Marine Parade, the entrance and exit for the Kingscliff Holiday Park along and access to the Boat Ramp.
At the moment as well as local traffic, all the travelling public from the north or south by way of Pacific Highway now enter and exit via Wommin Bay Road using this section of Marine Parade as a two-way road.
However, under this change, the in-coming traffic remains the same but those exiting from the various facilities of this ‘tourist hub’ will leave by way of Seaview Street, uphill to a five-way round-about, to complete a right hand turn into Pearl Street which is the direct access way for the residents of Cudgen Headland, two Primary Schools and all traffic bound for South Kingscliff.
That is, all traffic that is attracted to Kingscliff’s tourist facilities must use Seaview Street and give-way to traffic heading south along Pearl Street by holding on brakes until they can turn, predominately to the right, into Pearl Street if they wish to re-join the Pacific Highway. The effects of this scenario was raised at the last Kingscliff Chamber of Commerce meeting where the Council’s Design Engineer assured members that no problem would be encountered as the plan was based on undertaken traffic flow patterns.
The point that is missed, for all readers to consider, is that, when these flow patterns were undertaken, possibly none of the exiting traffic from the various facilities ever used Seaview Street and this round-about. Consequently the assumption, by the Design Engineer, of there being no foreseen problems, is based on flow patterns that have never been tested.
Thomas Eady
Kingscliff
