A howl of protest yesterday did not achieve a change in direction with an RTA spokesperson confirming the controversial change would take place next month, as announced in a statement released late on Thursday.

“This will be happening,” he said.

The plan to drop the speed limit was inadvertently found by an NRMA officer within the RTA’s 2009 Newell Highway Safety Review.

In late September it was brought to the attention of Newell communities and users during a visit to Dubbo by NRMA president Wendy Machin.

The NRMA and others called for public consultation and suggested more passing lanes, rest areas and an increased police presence as options to bring down the Newell’s road toll that stands at 69 fatalities for the past five years, 11 of them this year.

Most were unconvinced that slowing down the traffic would save lives, pointing to fatigue as the “dominant behavioural cause of casualties”.

Yesterday, as news spread of the RTA’s unilateral decision to enact its plan, politicians and the Newell Taskforce were damning of it.

Dubbo’s Independent MP Dawn Fardell has previously supported the RTA plan, but yesterday criticised it implementation in the absence of input from the community and possibly police.

She intends to seek out transport minister David Campbell in a bid to “delay that decision” until all voices have been heard.

The Nationals’ duty MLC for Dubbo Duncan Gay said: “The RTA and the State Government have been lowering speed limits all over the State in the last decade, yet the road toll continues to rise.”

His colleague, Barwon MP and State Opposition spokesperson for western NSW Kevin Humphries, said the RTA decision was “more about ... being seen to be doing something rather than taking meaningful steps to increase safety on our roads”.

Secretary of the Newell Highway Taskforce Michael Greenwood said it was both surprised and disappointed by the RTA decision and queried why the speed limit reduction was not included in a seven-point plan for the $30 safety upgrade of the Newell released in April by then roads minister Michael Daley.

In response an RTA spokesperson said it related to “engineering aspects” only.

kim.bartley@ruralpress.co m