A Sydney council will lobby the state government to back its push to reduce the speed limit on residential streets from 50 to 30 kilometres per hour.

The Ashfield Municipal Council voted 6-5 in favour of the speed reduction after heated debate at a council meeting last night.

It will now try to win the support of the government and the Road Traffic Authority (RTA) to legalise the lowered limits in a bid to reduce pedestrian accidents.

Deputy mayor of the inner west council Nick Adams said the 30kph limit was standard in residential areas across Europe, the USA and Britain, and that Australia needed to conform.

"There are pedestrian accidents every day all over Sydney, and our council wants to be a leader in changing that," Mr Adams said.

"We want to send a powerful and forceful message to the state government, the RTA and the wider community that we're fair dinkum about pedestrian safety."

"Ashfield council is leading the charge for the city of Sydney, for the state of NSW, and for the country of Australia, and we feel we've got the community behind us."

Mr Adams said the Ashfield municipality, which comprises suburbs including Summer Hill, Haberfield and Dobroyd Point, needed urgent action to avoid a repeat of a recent accident in nearby Campsie where a young girl was struck down by a passing car.

"I have consistently received complaints from local residents that cars scream up and down narrow streets with cars parked on either side while children are playing on the footpaths," Mr Adams said.

"We want to look after the safety of our residents, and I think the motion we carried last night is a small step in the right direction to more greatly protect the community, but most importantly, our children."

Mr Adams said major roads which passed through the municipality, such as Parramatta Road, Liverpool Road and Frederick Street, would not be affected.

30kays wtf, that is bullsh*t, this is getting beyond the joke, soon u will have to go 50kays on highways the way this crap is going

f*ck the government... 50 is pathetic.. 30 will make me kill objects

"I have consistently received complaints from local residents that cars scream up and down narrow streets with cars parked on either side while children are playing on the footpaths," Mr Adams said.

How is 50km/h screaming up and down a street and if cars are going over 50 they arent going to care about a 30 limit...?!? This guy is a twit!!

Moron's.

Greetings from San Jose!

I am sooooo happy that I moved away from Ash-dolt council a couple of months ago. Thank the good lord!

the funny thing is they had a "heated debate", but they still need to lobby the government who could just reject it.

councils have nothing better to do. me no care. me dont live there.

Edited 07/06/06 10:29 PM07/06/06 10:29 PM by drcook

That TOOL of a counciler is just after headlines and media attention.

As others have said, speed limits should be about common sence. I think someone needs to tell that retard that if you put a 30km/h sign up, it will NOT make cars go at or below 30km/h. People will drive at whatever speed they want. I do not think the police will be doing speed enforcement in back streets as there will not be enough cars to justify the revenue lost when they could just sit on a main road with a camera.

We should all lobby for a 10km/h as it is 3 times safer than 30km/h and say this counciler does not care for the community because he wants people to speed in residential streets.....

What a snapperhead

30k speed limits!!!!

Ha, that still won't stop wankers that insist on walking across the road where they aren't supposed to! This getting beyond a farking joke!!!

Motorists will get pinned for doing 54kph in a 50 zone but when will a pedestrian get pulled up for J-walking which is something that's happening more and more everyday!!!!

Darren

In one word

ABSOLUTE STUPIDITY

Oh, that was two words wasn't it