A STUPID act that put a mother and children at risk changed one councillor's mind about Dubbo's unofficial second-hand car lot.
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Cr Greg Mohr was one of 11 Dubbo leaders to resolve to prohibit the sale of vehicles in Cobra Street near Apex Oval.
He acknowledged he had changed his stance since he was voted on to Dubbo City Council in September, but he said his conditional support was given for good reason.
Cr Mohr on Monday told his colleagues he had witnessed an incident near Apex Oval so concerning he had reported it to police.
A mother, pushing a pram, and young children had been walking downtown when a vehicle travelling east along Cobra Street had mounted the gutter and driven on to the footpath right near them, he said.
The councillor said he had stopped and watched the driver look at a vehicle for sale.
Cr Mohr, who is also the Dubbo Ratepayers and Residents Association president, remembered the incident but it alone was not enough to sway him.
He said he would not agree to just any policy.
"The only reason I will support this is because it's not heavy-handed," he said.
From one councillor to another there was no robust opposition to the draft policy they had helped to develop, which also dealt with roadside traders.
Only deputy mayor Ben Shields argued it would be an "incredibly unpopular" move, but even he said there was a problem at Apex Oval, where an influx of traffic was expected to arrive with the 2013 football season in February.
"I'd like to propose a sunset clause, that we review it in six months," he said.
Dubbo mayor Mathew Dickerson yesterday began to justify the decision on the policy, which had already attracted criticism from Daily Liberal readers.
The growing number of vehicles being offered for sale in the area was becoming both an operational and safety issue, he said.
"The access road off the Mitchell Highway into Apex Oval was designed and built to create a safe entry and exit for users of the sporting facility, as well as additional parking for users of Apex Oval," he said.