Emma Pritchard
The residents of Tyndale love their rural settings.
However, they don’t love the entrance to their community, especially when visitors frequently comment on its unkempt appearance.
A section of the Big River Way leading to Sheehys Lane, the main approach into Tyndale, is the site of an ongoing debate.
John Drew, the owner and manager of the Plantation Motel, a building located directly at the entrance to Tyndale, told the Clarence Valley Independent he has contacted Transport for NSW and Clarence Valley Council (CVC), “six or eight times or more” since he purchased the business five years ago in an effort to uncover who is responsible for maintaining the vegetation along the aforementioned sections.
Mr Drew said Transport for NSW and CVC pointed to each other as being responsible for vegetation maintenance, and he feels the organisations are too busy blaming each other instead of listening to the concerns of residents.
Some locals in Tyndale have become so frustrated with the lack of vegetation maintenance carried out in the area, several of them have mowed the grass themselves.
One resident regularly mows the grass around a bus shelter in Sheehys Lane which is used regularly by his children due to safety concerns regarding snakes and vermin.
“It isn’t the responsibility of the locals, but no one else will do it,” Mr Drew explained.
“I’ve had guests point out how untidy and uninviting the entrance is.
“All we want is a set maintenance schedule just like other places in the Clarence Valley, so the entrance to Tyndale doesn’t look so messy.
When approached for comment, a Transport for NSW spokesperson said vegetation maintenance along the area of Big River Way and Sheehys Lane is a shared responsibility between them and council.
“Vegetation maintenance is carried out to maintain visibility for motorists and to ensure the durability of Transport for NSW assets,” they said.
“Transport for NSW carries out maintenance activities on the roadside verge of Big River Way up to the start of the island on Sheehys Lane.”
In his response, CVC Manager of Open Spaces Peter Birch also stated maintenance of roadside verges is a shared responsibility.
“Pending weather conditions, council maintains the area at he roundabout and bus shelter every two months in winter, and once a month in the summer,” he explained.
“Some areas have not been mowed recently due to wet ground conditions due to rainfall events.”
