RTA representatives visited Tenterfield last year to complete road safety audits on the crossings and barricades along Rouse Street.

Council had still not received any comment regarding these audits by last week’s January ordinary meeting and was unwilling to make any decisions until it had received comment.

Brian Turner, council’s Director of Engineering Services, said the RTA would need to give its agreement for any work on the barricades and that council may risk approval for future works or funding from the RTA if it were to act too soon.

In a report to council, he said the costs of removing the garden beds and barricades on Rouse Street at Manners and High Streets would be expensive and “considerably more difficult” than first thought.

“Because the walls were built to resist impact forces by errant vehicle (and particularly turning trucks) the blocks are core filled with concrete and have reinforcement running through them to the original footing,” Mr Turner said.

The reinforcement is up to half a metre deep.

Mr Turner estimated the costs for removal work at High Street would reach about $86,000 and about $35,000 at Manners Street.

“These costs seem high and may be conservative,” Mr Turner said, “But it is difficult to estimate the actual progress that will be actually achieved given the unknown factors involved.”

Mr Turner also presented council with two possible alternative solutions to completely removing the barricades.

One option suggested the pool fencing on top of barricades at the High Street intersection be replaced with tensioned steel wire rope - an option Mr Turner said was cheaper than replacing the entire wall, and would improve visibility while maintaining a deterrence to pedestrians considering crossing the highway at that section.