The road that GPS leads you to die on

When does the cost of human life and injury tip the scales and become the first priority? John Hanckel used to start his mornings with a jog, breathing in the fresh country air around Hay. He was a hands-on man who could level a house, remove dangerous trees, and help his neighbours with their yards.

As a skilled bricklayer, he could crawl under buildings and climb to trim and lop trees.

He loved bush walking and exploring the landscape he called home.

All of that changed on one terrible day in October 2008, on a 10-kilometre stretch of unsealed road that has become a symbol of bureaucratic inaction and community frustration.

“Due to the unsealed section of this road, I suffered a very severe road accident in October, 2008,” Mr Hanckel wrote to The Riverine Grazier.

“Since then, my life has completely changed to being confined to a wheelchair.”

Today, the man who once found joy in physical work and outdoor adventures relies on others for the most basic tasks.

“This part of my life is gone now, from being able to independently feed, dress, wash, go to bed and drive myself around but due to the dangerous, unavoidable and unsealed section of Bringagee Road, I'm now confined to a wheelchair and not being able to enjoy any of these joys in life.”

Bringagee Road, the unsealed section between Carrathool and Griffith off the Murrumbidgee River Road, has been a thorn in the community’s side for decades.

If sealed, this road would provide safe travel while cutting many kilometres off the journey for residents of Hay and surrounding areas.

The statistics are sobering; it takes 15 minutes to travel just 10 kilometres on this road. But the human cost goes far beyond inconvenience.

Ron Pearson of Hay, who has been championing the cause, knows the road's dangers firsthand. “I did it once,” he said.

“And it was that rough. Yeah, 15 minutes to do 10 kilometres.” But Mr Pearson's experience pales compared to others.

“I know people, like the school bus, went over and many others who have had accidents,” he revealed during a recent interview.

The dangers of Bringagee Road aren't just anecdotal. GPS navigation systems regularly direct unsuspecting drivers down this road, leaving them stranded in vehicles unsuited for the conditions.

I have personally been led by GPS down Bringagee Road, and it was a lengthy and anxious drive. Perhaps most concerning is that school children travel this road daily.

“Both Bringagee and Barber Roads obviously carry some fairly precious cargo which is school kids,” Councillor Andreazza said at a Griffith City Council meeting in 2023.

“Kids come in and out of school every day during the week from there.” John Hanckel understands better than most what this means for families. He described the road's impossible design.

“The only thing a driver can do when passing another vehicle is to slow down to a very low speed and drive onto the ridges of gravel to pass the other vehicle, this is unacceptable and risking your life every time a manoeuvre of this nature is carried out,” he said.

He knows the exact spot where his life changed forever.

“The edge of Bringagee Road where my accident occurred is much too high to safely drive off the road.

“A kerb of this height is a prime recipe for a vehicle to roll over onto the side of the road.”

This isn’t a new problem. A petition with over 500 signatures was presented to Parliament by Adrian Piccoli in 2010, demanding action on the unsealed Bringagee Road. Yet here we are, 15 years later, still fighting the same fight.

Ron Pearson refuses to let the issue die. Starting about six months ago, he began another grassroots campaign, going door-to door, visiting bowling clubs, and gathering support wherever he could find it.

His efforts have collected over 1,000 signatures calling for the road to be sealed. “I’m not trying to aggrandise myself; I just want it fixed,” Mr Pearson said with characteristic modesty.

“There's a lot of people in this town, old people, who have to go regularly, and they’re going on the Sturt Highway, a goat track.” Mr Pearson's motivation is simple.

“I’m just doing this, not to gain or anything.

“It's more we need it and I do not understand the rationale behind not doing it.”

Phil King, Director of Infrastructure and Operations with Griffith City Council, acknowledged the community’s efforts.

“I admire Ron’s grassroots advocacy and his passion, and that while I sympathise with the travel time the people within this area have, there are alternatives.

“While I understand and sympathise the extra time it takes to travel on these alternatives, the facts are there are alternatives, safe ones,” Mr King said.

But those alternatives come at a cost. For elderly residents and families, the extra distance means additional fuel costs, vehicle wear, and precious time lost.

For John Hanckel, who used the road when driving from Hay to Griffith, those alternatives meant driving from Hay to Griffith and back along the Sturt Highway is quite some distance further and a time-wasting exercise.

The council promises action, but not until 2029 at the earliest.

“There is a future forecast for sealing of Bringagee Road in the Roads to Recovery funding we are allocated, with 2029 being the earliest date,” Mr King explained.

“So, Griffith City Council has made a commitment to seal the road, but there are many roads within the shire which need sealing, and we have to prioritise.”

Four more years at a minimum. Four more years of 15-minute journeys to travel 10 kilometres.

Four more years of school buses navigating dangerous terrain with precious cargo.

Four more years of elderly residents forced onto longer, more expensive routes. Four more years too many.

Ron Pearson’s position is that while the Manly Pool project has blown out from $30 million to $120 million, a 10-kilometre stretch of road that could save lives remains unfunded and unfixed.

The irony isn't lost on residents like Ron, who point out this disparity with frustration. John Hanckel's words serve as a stark reminder of what's at stake.

“Sealing the dirt section of Bringagee Road will save on fuel costs, time, and less wear to vehicles as well as saving lives,” he said.

Those aren’t just words on paper. They’re a prediction written in the experience of a man whose life was forever altered by a preventable accident.

Helen Dalton's office has indicated they’re invested in assisting, but the community needs to make noise.

Such noise can be by contacting the Office of Helen Dalton, Griffith City Council, and writing letters of support. Ron Pearson puts it simply.

“We need people out there to step up and make their voices heard,” he said.

The question remains; when does the cost of human life and injury tip the scales and become the first priority? How many more accidents, how many more near-misses, how many more lives altered before action replaces promises?

John Hanckel ends his letter with a powerful reminder; this road upgrade isn’t just about convenience; it's about saving lives. Surely, we can do better than telling rural communities to wait until 2029 for safe passage home.

If you want to help get Bringagee Road sealed, contact The Riverine Grazier to add your voice to the cause.

Letters of support and ideas on how to further the campaign are urgently needed, because every day of delay is another day someone else might join John Hanckel in paying close to the ultimate price for bureaucratic inaction.