RESIDENTS along the Mt Pleasant to Toolijooa upgrade of the Princes Highway say they need the proposed highway access roads for safety, but that they should not be the ones to maintain them.
Kiama Council released a statement last week, re-stating it did not object to the access roads in the new design, but believed some of the accesses should be maintained by landholders as private driveways.
Kiama Mayor Sandra McCarthy said the council was already taking responsibility for 10km of road including the new stretch of Fern Street between the railway line and the new Rose Valley interchange and a stretch of the old Princes Highway between Toolijooa and Foxground where the new road will leave the existing alignment.
She said Sims Road had always been a public road, but questioned having to maintain a new road which will only be used by the residents and those visiting them.
"Councils maintain public roads, not driveways," she said.
But resident Drew Burrell said, contrary to the council's statement that the roads would only service two to three properties, the proposed access on the eastern side of the highway could service eight or nine if NSW Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) chose to link all the properties to the Rose Valley interchange.
"I don't think a citizen should have to pay for access into their own homes," he said. "Residents should not have to be splitting maintenance fees when we don't now - we would have to receive some significant compensation to do that."
Mr Burrell's neighbour, Frank Tynan, agreed.
"It's good the council does not oppose the findings of the RMS... but it's beyond the capacity of residents to fund that sort of access," he said.
"This argument needs to be sorted by the state and local governments."
While Cr McCarthy questioned the equity of all ratepayers footing the bill for maintenance, Mr Burrell said he was also a ratepayer.
"They're happy to collect my rates and I pay a significant amount," he said. "I'm fine with that, but the council is shirking its obligations."
The council has requested a meeting with Minister for Roads Duncan Gay to discuss the issue.
<2009>On Monday, Member for Kiama Gareth Ward announced updates to the Berry Bypass design to reduce noise and visual impacts for Berry.
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