THE commotion caused by the visit to Bilpin of a Council sign inspector in March likely won’t progress until the next Council meeting on May 9.
The businesses objecting to the visit, which they saw as overly heavy-handed, included one which was slapped with a $6000 fine.
Sean Prendergast of the Bilpin Cider Co. said he was visited on March 17 by the Council officer.
“He visited our premises and advised us that he had received complaints about road signage in Bilpin and had noted that my signage providing direction to travellers was not permitted and had to be removed by 5pm that day,” Mr Prendergast said. “This was done and was noted by Council following patrols the next week.”
Mr Prendergast said he had been keen to do the right thing.
“We reacted by creating a new sign, placing it on a trailer and putting it out on April 7. We believed the new sign was compliant. On April 11 and 12 the officer apparently made two subsequent visits to Bilpin and on each occasion noted my new sign.
“He did not visit us to explain that he felt the sign would not be permitted by Council. Rather he came back again on April 13 with a letter and a $6000 fine.”
Mr Prendergast was helped by Councillor Nathan Zamprogno who was very sympathetic to his plight. “As I now understand it, I need to make an application for a review of the fine to the State Debt Recovery Office.”
Mr Zamprogno explained the recovery office would ask Council if it thought the fine should be waived, but that was the only power Council now had over the fine.
He told the Gazette he wanted a specific rural signage policy formulated which took into account the Bilpin situation where drivers needed to be alerted some distance before the business, as the current policy did not allow for this.
“I want Council to be seen to be proactive to develop a specific Bilpin policy. But it has to be consistent across the district,” he said. “I have put a draft notice of motion to the next meeting (on May 9).”
Mayor Mary Lyons-Buckett said businesses should be allowed to alert drivers ahead of time. “As a Council we need to work with affected people to formulate such a policy. We do not want to see businesses suffer.”
Meanwhile a Bilpin resident emailed the Gazette on Monday saying he had witnessed “a near multi-car crash on the weekend”.
“I was behind a row of vehicles heading west near the Tutti Fruitti café when the front one suddenly saw the café and hit his brakes. Everyone else skidded to a halt behind him.” He said this was because the signs further back down the road had been removed.
