Two teenage boys killed in 4WD accident on Tara Loop Road, Ilford

[gary]

As we try and remind all those who attend the South
Pacific Star Party every year, please drive slowly and do
not over-take on the Tara Loop Road, which is the gravel
road leading to the ASNSW property.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sydney Morning Herald and AAP report -

September 24, 2006 - 12:15PM

Two teenage boys have been killed and another seriously
injured in a car accident in central western NSW this
morning.

The three boys, all aged about 15, were travelling in a
four-wheel-drive along Tara Loop Road, in Ilford, near
Mudgee, when the vehicle left the road and overturned at
6.30am (AEST).

One of the boys managed to free himself from the vehicle
but the others were trapped and died after a fire broke
out.

The surviving boy was airlifted to Nepean Hospital in
Sydney with serious spinal injuries.

No-one else was travelling in the vehicle.

AAP

[h0ughy (David)]

Originally Posted by gary

As we try and remind all those who attend the South
Pacific Star Party every year, please drive slowly and do
not over-take on the Tara Loop Road, which is the gravel
road leading to the ASNSW property.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sydney Morning Herald and AAP report -

September 24, 2006 - 12:15PM

Two teenage boys have been killed and another seriously
injured in a car accident in central western NSW this
morning.

The three boys, all aged about 15, were travelling in a
four-wheel-drive along Tara Loop Road, in Ilford, near
Mudgee, when the vehicle left the road and overturned at
6.30am (AEST).

One of the boys managed to free himself from the vehicle
but the others were trapped and died after a fire broke
out.

The surviving boy was airlifted to Nepean Hospital in
Sydney with serious spinal injuries.

No-one else was travelling in the vehicle.

AAP

That is very sad news indeed.

However, something good can come of this, in a cruel way that will allow the local council to be able to apply for federal funding under the AUSLINK banner for Blackspot funding. Two deaths on a gravel road can mean the council can apply for money up to 1/2 million to get some work done on the road surface and linemarking and nightime delineation markings. So whoever is on the committee for looking after Ilford, petition the local council and goad them into applying for the funding

[gary]

Hi Houghy,

Sad indeed. However, I will pass your comments onto the committee.
As the Society are land owners/rate payers in Tara Road, a letter to the
local shire council is an excellent suggestion and hopefully the risk of these
types of accidents can be reduced in the future.

Gary

[h0ughy (David)]

Originally Posted by gary

Hi Houghy,

Sad indeed. However, I will pass your comments onto the committee.
As the Society are land owners/rate payers in Tara Road, a letter to the
local shire council is an excellent suggestion and hopefully the risk of these
types of accidents can be reduced in the future.

Gary

Gary I am being serious, the cost:benefit ratio balloons out with deaths (unfortunately) , I should know as I apply for funding of this nature all the time for my work. To date I have achieved over 3.7million dollars worth in 8 years. So it is not impossible, you just have to have the programs and capacity to build the projects, or else allow for them to be constructed by others in your submission price. BUt this would be a worthy project and attract high benefit points, unsealed road, no delineation, no signposted warnings or speed controls, ETC . I can give some advice when needed.

[gary]

Hi Houghy,

Thanks again and I appreciate the cold metric by which such funding is
computed and I will pass on your comments in full.

As you know, the section of gravel that one actually travels to the
ASNSW site is relatively short, particularly when you compare it against the
length of the total journey from Sydney. Yet I know of at least two people
personally that have had accidents on that very short stretch. I would be
hard-pressed to think of any other road in the country where I could name
two people I personally knew that had accidents on the same stretch.

Appreciate your offer in assistance. Often the right sort of wording can make
all the difference in "pushing the right buttons". If you do not mind, I
might ask Joe Cauchi, who manages the ASNSW Ilford site, contact you for advice
in this specfic regard?

Thanks again.

Gary

[acropolite (Phil)]

A Tragic accident but from what you've written, my first concern is what were three 15 year olds doing in a car by themselves, obviously unlicenced and inexperienced.

[nightsky]

Originally Posted by acropolite

A Tragic accident but from what you've written, my first concern is what were three 15 year olds doing in a car by themselves, obviously unlicenced and inexperienced.

G'Day,
I totally agree with you, and as far as the road is concerned I never had a problem with it, I went to Ilford every new moon for over 5 yrs and and never had a accident, it's sad to hear about any death especially the young, however speed and inexperienced does seem to be the cause of death.also the only accidents that I have heard of was someone running into a roo,again this turned out to be speeding. sealing the road will not do much good and IMHO will only cause more accidents as some idiots will think it's safer to go faster because it's sealed.

[Glenn Dawes]

Originally Posted by nightsky

G'Day,
I totally agree with you, and as far as the road is concerned I never had a problem with it, I went to Ilford every new moon for over 5 yrs and and never had a accident, it's sad to hear about any death especially the young, however speed and inexperienced does seem to be the cause of death.also the only accidents that I have heard of was someone running into a roo,again this turned out to be speeding. sealing the road will not do much good and IMHO will only cause more accidents as some idiots will think it's safer to go faster because it's sealed.

Yes, I don't want to sound heartless but the 15 year olds on their own seems to be a receipe for disaster, on any road. There are no shortage of unsealed roads in the country - do you seal all of them to try and protect people from their own stupidity? I've driven the road many times going back to when the ASNSW purchased the property in the 80's. I too think it is a reasonable road (as dirt tracks go).

Seal Tara Loop and all that might come of it is more unwelcome traffic and higher council rates for the ASNSW.

Regards

Glenn

[h0ughy (David)]

Originally Posted by Glenn Dawes

Seal Tara Loop and all that might come of it is more unwelcome traffic and higher council rates for the ASNSW.

Regards

Glenn

Gee sounds like ostrich syndrome to me . Just by having an existing service improved does not mean that your rates automatically go up. The council rates the property on the land value and the classification of the property, then there are other levy's that are added including garbage, sewer, depending maybe even cultural. Rates only go up by revaluing land (and that’s done by the valuer generals department) and council applying for extra funding through increased levy's or CPi indexing. Its not automatic. So to think that if funding was successful that you would pay more is ridiculous. Go and get your current rates notice, and have a look at the breakdown of charges, if not ring the council and ask for one. You will be surprised.

If this road manages to get this section improved, it will be through a federal funding source, which means everyone in Australia would be potentially contributing to that project, and the locals would pay nothing. Remember it would be an improvement made to the road, along with delineation (there is none of that now) reduction of dust (the house at the end would relish that) and would be safer to drive on. You cannot stop people speeding if they want to (except if you have speed humps every 50meters).

Tell me do you speed on familiar road or unfamiliar roads? That’s what these kids were doing, taking a vehicle for a bash, and speeding. You have more control on a sealed surface than an unsealed road. Its only the speed that’s the problem. Targeting a generation of bullet-proof, invincible bodies is impossible. They are too thick to see the future. It is a tragic situation for all families involved, including the surviving member of the trio.

[nightsky]

Originally Posted by h0ughy

Gee sounds like ostrich syndrome to me . Just by having an existing service improved does not mean that your rates automatically go up. The council rates the property on the land value and the classification of the property, then there are other levy's that are added including garbage, sewer, depending maybe even cultural. Rates only go up by revaluing land (and that’s done by the valuer generals department) and council applying for extra funding through increased levy's or CPi indexing. Its not automatic. So to think that if funding was successful that you would pay more is ridiculous. Go and get your current rates notice, and have a look at the breakdown of charges, if not ring the council and ask for one. You will be surprised.
.

G'Day Houghy,
Your missing the whole point M8, someone has got to pay for sealing the road,Federal,State, or Local it all boils down to the Tax payer footing the bill and all because of stupidity!! and as Glen said it will only bring more undesirables to the property, also there is a lot of expensive equipment stored there,a unsealed road also keeps the so called "sports " type away,like the shooters, shooting anything that moves,(mostly horses and cattle) and as far as the house is concerned at the beginning of the road, most of the members going to the site always drive by it very slowly so as not to stir up the dust.
Cheers

[h0ughy (David)]

Originally Posted by nightsky

G'Day Houghy,
Your missing the whole point M8, someone has got to pay for sealing the road,Federal,State, or Local it all boils down to the Tax payer footing the bill and all because of stupidity!! and as Glen said it will only bring more undesirables to the property, also there is a lot of expensive equipment stored there,a unsealed road also keeps the so called "sports " type away,like the shooters, shooting anything that moves,(mostly horses and cattle) and as far as the house is concerned at the beginning of the road, most of the members going to the site always drive by it very slowly so as not to stir up the dust.
Cheers

without getting into pointing fingers and jumping up and down on our soap boxes, I accept your point and leave it at that I see a different viewpoint to you, thats all.

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Drive carefully and considerately of other road users here folks. Thank you.

[Glenn Dawes]

Hi Houghy,

Firstly, you are being unfair to the widlife, I think any ostrich would probably hate to be associated with me

Just a couple of points:

* wrt to rates, in the city having sealed roads is a given. Does this necessaryily apply to the country?

* Ultimately we pay for it (however you look at it), but I don't mind for it is employment for people. However resources like this can only go so far so I'm sure there are safety and level of traffic requirements. Obviously if there are unsafe sections - address them

* considering they have a 4WD, if Tara Loop was sealed they would have possibly gone elsewhere - it is much easier to chuck wheelies and fish tail on gravel.

* Would we be even having this conversation if it didn't involve a road we drive on? A road I don't consider unsafe if driven on correctly? I'm sure there are many other death traps out there waiting for the foolish - they can't all be sealed.

* We can only hope this incident can get a message through to the young at heart that they are not bullet proof. This is the real issue.

Anyway, I'm out of here, cheers.

A bid-da, bid-da, bid-da, bid-da. That's all folks!

Glenn

[johnno]

A very SAD Situation regardless of who's at fault.

I am Allways sorry to see Young people die,I know how I'd feel if it was one of my ours.

Regards.
John

[Happy]

Originally Posted by acropolite

A Tragic accident but from what you've written, my first concern is what were three 15 year olds doing in a car by themselves, obviously unlicenced and inexperienced.

Originally Posted by nightsky

G'Day,
I totally agree with you, and as far as the road is concerned I never had a problem with it, I went to Ilford every new moon for over 5 yrs and and never had a accident, it's sad to hear about any death especially the young, however speed and inexperienced does seem to be the cause of death.also the only accidents that I have heard of was someone running into a roo,again this turned out to be speeding. sealing the road will not do much good and IMHO will only cause more accidents as some idiots will think it's safer to go faster because it's sealed.

How can you people possible say all the stuff that you have just wrote? I'm not just pointing at these 2 quotes, but everyone, no-one really know's what those boys were doing. One of the boys that died is a very much loved person in my community, it seemed as though everyone knew him and everyone liked him. The other boy that died was not as well known, but still known and loved. It's called "paddock bashing", everyone who lives on a farm without good transport does it, hense why the boys were paddock bashing, to get to the bus that was bringing them to my community to play the sport they loved. So to all of you who think they were in the wrong and think they were speeding, you don't know exactly what happened, no-one does, only the boy that survived. So don't say any more about "it was a disater waiting to happen" or whatever else you are thinking. No-one knows what happend!

[acropolite (Phil)]

Originally Posted by Happy

It's called "paddock bashing", everyone who lives on a farm without good transport does it, hense why the boys were paddock bashing

Exactly and that's what my point was about. That's why we have road laws and licencing, to protect road users from each other and themselves.

[Happy]

Originally Posted by acropolite

... That's why we have road laws and licencing, to protect road users from each other and themselves.

Yes i do know that, but out in the country they do not have the transport they need. If laws were to help everyone, they would make sure there was enough of (transport) something so people can protect each other. Im not here to get in a fight, im just here because no-one know's the full story and no-one will ever. Can you seriously tell me, that you knew all 3 boys, i can probably say that you don't, i knew them, well atleast 2 of them, the 2 that died, and it rips me up to see people say stuff about them and their accident when they DONT know the story.

[RB (Andrew)]

Ok I think we'll leave this discussion there.
We all feel for this tragic loss.