State Member for Wallsend, Ms Sonia Hornery MP, will today move a Notice of Motion, calling on the Minister for Roads and Transport to look at changing the policy surrounding how abandoned vehicles are dealt with.
Currently, abandoned vehicles must be left on the roadside for a minimum of 28 days, before the RMS or Councils can move them, unless they pose a traffic hazard.
Ms Hornery will ask the Minister to review this, as cars left abandoned along the Link Road at Wallsend and Minmi Road at Fletcher, Maryland and Minmi, pose a major fire hazard.
Quotes attributable to Member for Wallsend, Sonia Hornery
“Residents are always contacting me, concerned about an abandoned vehicle left on the Link Road or around Minmi and Fletcher.”
“You can guarantee that when you see an abandoned car, you know the inevitable will happen – they will get burnt. A couple of days later the wheels are gone, then the parts, and a few days later it’s on fire.”
“The problem is the fire hazard this then poses for residents who live in these rapidly growing areas.”
“The current Act requires cars to be left for at least 28 days before they can be removed to ensure procedural fairness to vehicle owners. This is far too long and it is rare to see a car last for more than a week without being dismantled for parts and subsequently torched.”
“The Act allows for a vehicle to be moved immediately it is causing an obstruction to traffic, vehicular or pedestrian, or is likely to be a danger to the public. I believe that this should allow cars in parts of the Wallsend electorate to be removed because they pose a bush fire hazard.”
“Our local Fire and Rescue teams have raised their concerns about the increase in abandoned vehicles in the area and the potential they have to cause a major fire.”
“This should be a no-brainer for the Minister to fix. With summer approaching, it is important that we see changes immediately.”