Capes councils to determine future of contentious RAC Safer Speeds trial affecting 1800 local roads

Councillors across the Capes region will likely have to consider hundreds of submissions on a proposed speed-cut trial on Capes roads. The City of Busselton and the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River will consider their commitment to the RAC-backed Safer Speeds trial at their last meetings for the year. The Times understands at least 1300 submissions were made by residents during consultation which ended earlier this month. The project entails a trial of speed limit changes to about 1800 Shire and City-controlled roads across the region, endorsed and tinkered with by Main Roads WA, with RAC providing about $1 million in project funding. While some calls and emails to the Times – including sneak peeks at several submissions made during the public comment period – identified concerns with the RAC proposal, most respondents generally favoured speed reductions in town sites. Augusta-Margaret River Shire chief executive Andrea Selvey went one further to say most of the submissions were positive. “We are currently completing our analysis to present to council in December,” Ms Selvey said. “However, at this stage we can advise that the majority of the 239 submissions we received were supportive of the Safer Speed Trial.” City councillors — who are understood to have received more than 1000 submissions — and shire councillors will consider the proposal at separate meetings planned for Wednesday, December 11.