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Disclaimer : The comments of columnists and contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the Independent magazine group . The Independent nor any person acting on their behalf , may be held responsible for the use to which the information contained in this publication may be put , or for any errors which , despite careful preparation and checking , may appear .

Plans to make a busy Marsden Park intersection safer and easier to navigate for motorists and pedestrians are available for public comment .

The first community information sessions for the roundabout proposed for the intersection of Elara Boulevard and Northbourne Drive were held on Saturday 12 October .

Deputy Premier and Member for Londonderry Prue Car , Blacktown City Mayor Brad Bunting and Council officers discussed the plans with residents of the Aspire Elara retirement village and broader community at the Elara Village shopping centre .

The Deputy Premier said it was of utmost priority to improve safety and deal with congestion for residents .

“ The congestion at this intersection is a huge issue for our community ,

Blacktown City Mayor Brad Bunting chats with a resident . which is why the Minns Labor Government delivered funding for this project ,” she said .

“ We need a solution that works best for the community , and I encourage you to share your feedback as Blacktown Council enters the next stages of the project .”

The project follows a commitment by the Deputy Premier to improve safety in response to community feedback .

Council will deliver the project , and conducted a detailed traffic analysis that showed upgrading the intersection from stop signs to a roundabout , raised pedestrian crossings and median strips would improve safety and traffic flow .

Blacktown City Mayor Brad Bunting said Marsden Park was growing rapidly and Council was working to protect the community now and in the future .

“ Council will always put safety first and I am pleased the proposal does this while keeping traffic moving ,” he said .

Blacktown City Mayor Brad Bunting and Deputy Premier Prue Car .

“ We are listening to our community and together we will produce a good outcome .”

A signalised intersection was considered as part of the traffic analysis . However , it was found this option would lead to unacceptable delays and traffic queues . The findings are available on the Blacktown City Council website .

Additional sessions will be advertised soon .

For details of the proposal and information sessions , see the Have Your Say on Council ’ s website : https :// haveyoursay . blacktown . nsw . gov . au .

4 ISSUE 44 // NOVEMBER 2024 theindependentmagazine . com . au BLACKTOWN CITY INDEPENDENT