Wagga Ratepayers Association calling for government to provide consistency on city's roads

Mobile speed cameras have been catching out hundreds of drivers in Wagga, with the latest Revenue NSW data revealing 418 fines were issued to drivers nabbed speeding by 10km/h or less during the month of May, worth a total of $72,138.

A total of 69 fines were issued by Wagga highway patrol officers for the same offence during June, well above the state average of 26 for all NSW Police regions.

Many drivers have put the low-level speeding fines down to unnecessary speed changes in the city.

The Wagga Ratepayers Association discussed the issue at its meeting this week and now wants Wagga MP Joe McGirr to lobby Transport for NSW to make changes.

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"The main issue is unfortunately council has no say in it, even though they'd like to," the association's secretary Lynne Bodell said.

"All they can do is, if there is a request from the community, they can put in an application to [Transport for NSW], but they have no say."

Dr Bodell hopes the Wagga MP can convince the government that the council needs more say in how its roads are governed.

"At the moment, it's very confusing, there's no consistency from one suburb to another, you can very easily go over the speed limit and be fined," she said.

Myers Automotive owner Gordon Campbell was issued three tickets for low-level speeding offences in less than a week late last year and he thinks some areas of the city are "ridiculous" for speed changes.

Mr Campbell pointed to the roundabout at Glenfield and Fernleigh roads as an example - with three different speed limits off its four exits - 50km/h, 60km/h and 70km/h.

"I've been very very cautious [since my fines]," he said.

"I'm actually using cruise control around town now to be sure, which is really silly, which means you're constantly looking at your speedometer rather than watching road conditions."

Peter Gilchrist estimates he goes through nine speed changes from his Ashmont home to his workplace and finds the changes "weird" compared to his previous home in Brisbane which was more uniform.

Mr Gilchrist also thinks the amount of speed cameras in Wagga is "ridiculous".

"Sometimes you drive to work and you see three different speed cameras," he said.

Wagga-based Nationals MLC Wes Fang agreed speed changes in the city were "unhelpful and problematic", but warned residents to "be careful what you wish for".

"My fear is that if we were to force more rationalisation of speed limits we'd be forced to then travel at the lower speed limit," he said.

Mr Fang said he believed clearer signage of speed limits in the city, as well as the speed limits being posted on any mobile speed cameras, would be a preferable option.

A Transport for NSW spokesperson said they set speed limits "in accordance with Transport for NSW risk assessment processes".

"Some streets throughout Wagga Wagga are set at 50 km/h for the safety of the community," they said.

"Transport for NSW will continue to work with council to review speed limits and make any necessary changes to ensure the continued safety of all transport customers."

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