Railing against inaction
Fairfield Advance, 1 August 06

Minh Tran fears for his family's safety if a guard railing is not installed.

A ST Johns Park resident has pleaded with Fairfield Council to help stop cars barrelling off the road, and into his front yard, before one of his family members is hurt.

Minh Tran and his family have lived near the intersection of Humphries Rd and Canley Vale Rd for five years.

During that time, six cars have left the road and crashed into his front yard.

And police have recorded a staggering 51 accidents at the intersection since 1994.

Fairfield Council's executive manager city services Deborah Sandars said the council was looking for solutions to the problem.

"(We are) currently investigating the request (to install guard rails) by Councillor Thang Ngo,'' she said in a statement to the Fairfield Advance.

Mr Tran said he hoped something could be done to ensure his family was safe.

"Cars are always hitting the fence out the front,'' he said.

"The council only needs to put in a small railing.

"The accidents happen in the night time and in the day.

"My mother often sits in the front yard to read and my children and the children from next door spend time playing in the yard.''

Mr Tran said when he asked Cr Ngo to raise the matter with the council's staff two years ago, he was told there would have to be four incidents in a year to justify the work.

Last week Cr Ngo raised the matter again, this time in a full council meeting, and asked for an urgent report.

"Several years ago . . . I had asked council to look at installation of metal guard rails to stop cars from crashing into his property,'' he said.

"Council at the time, decided that a guard rail was not required.

"Recently (Mr Tran) contacted me to report there was an accident in December last year and another one on Saturday, July 15, in which a car, again, came through his front yard.''

Along with the urgent report into the number of accidents at the site, Cr Ngo has called for a review of the council's earlier decision not to install a guard rail.