In a stunning display of incompetence, Liverpool City Council has managed to turn a simple traffic solution into an international embarrassment. The diamond-shaped roundabout at the intersection of 15th and 28th Avenues in Austral, installed on 20 June 2025 and removed just days later on 27 June 2025, has become a symbol of everything wrong with local government decision-making. Labelled as potentially “Australia’s worst roundabout” by Karl Stefanovic on Channel 9’s Today Show, this fiasco not only caused confusion and chaos on our roads but also burned through a staggering $130,000 of ratepayers’ money according to a report by Council CEO Mr Jason Breton, scheduled to be presented at the Liverpool City Council meeting next week.
A Roundabout Doomed from the Start
From the outset, this project was riddled with red flags. As early as 18 October 2024, both Transport for NSW (TfNSW) and Council staff identified that the staggered intersection at 15th and 28th Avenues was simply not suitable for a compliant roundabout.
Key issues included:
- Non-circular design: The central island’s odd shape led to inconsistent circulating speeds, with compound curves that tightened dangerously.
- High-speed risks: With a 60km/h approach speed on 15th Avenue, vehicles—especially those making right turns or U-turns—were unlikely to navigate safely.
- Corner-cutting hazards: The north-east corner posed a risk of vehicles cutting across due to inadequate physical barriers beyond line-marking.
- Practical concerns: Even though swept paths were technically acceptable, there were serious doubts about real-world vehicle navigation.
Despite these glaring warnings, Council pressed ahead with a non-standard, non-compliant design.
Ignoring Expert Advice and Wasting Money
Here’s where it gets truly infuriating. TfNSW provided detailed recommendations, including minor adjustments like ensuring adequate sight distances and major fixes like road widening and power pole relocation. But Liverpool City Council, in their infinite wisdom, rejected many of these suggestions due to “budget constraints” and the “temporary nature” of the roundabout. Instead of escalating the cost concerns back to the Local Traffic Committee (LTC) or Council for proper scrutiny, they just ploughed ahead.
This arrogance led to a draft detailed design that openly admitted it couldn’t satisfy all safety recommendations because it wasn’t “economically viable.” And yet, TfNSW still endorsed it under pressure, a decision that raises questions about the approval process itself.
But wait, it gets worse. The final design was supposed to be an oval-shaped roundabout, already a compromise. What was actually built? A diamond-shaped monstrosity that wasn’t even tested in situ before being unleashed on unsuspecting drivers. Why the change? Because the contractor’s machinery couldn’t handle the asphalt milling as per the design, and the Site Inspector—without consulting the Traffic or Design teams—decided to just wing it during overnight works on a Friday.
The Cost to Ratepayers: A Ultimate Slap in the Face
This is where ratepayers should be absolutely ropeable. The total cost for the installation, removal, and remediation of this dud roundabout was a whopping $139,937. Here’s the breakdown:
- Installation: $92,885
- Removal: $20,606
- Remediation: $33,308
- Enhanced footpath and pram ramp: A measly credit of $6,862
Despite the delivered diamond-shaped design not matching the approved oval plan, and the contractor turning up to the job with equipment not even suitable to do the job, the contractor was still paid. Paid! For a job so obviously botched that it made international headlines. This isn’t just incompetence; it’s an outrageous misuse of public funds. Ratepayers will be furious, and rightly so, when they realise their hard-earned cash funded this disaster while Council sat on their hands.
Why Does This Keep Happening?
This debacle isn’t just a one-off. It’s a symptom of a deeper rot within Liverpool City Council and local government in general. One of the core reasons things move at a snail’s pace and cost ratepayers a fortune is the stack of approvals and processes that Councils must navigate—or in this case, blatantly ignore. TfNSW’s recommendations were sidelined, the Local Traffic Committee’s conditional approval wasn’t revisited as required, and critical decisions were made by a lone Site Inspector without oversight. The result? Chaos, confusion, and a hefty bill.
Council’s own “lessons learned” report admits multiple points of failure: inadequate design reviews, unclear roles and responsibilities, and a complete lack of accountability. They’ve promised to update procedures and establish a Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed (RACI) framework, but forgive me for not holding my breath. When you’ve got a Council that can’t even build a temporary roundabout without turning it into a national punchline, how can we trust them to fix systemic issues?
Liverpool City Council: Out of Touch and Out of Ideas
Let’s be brutally honest: Liverpool City Council has lost the plot. This isn’t just about a bad roundabout; it’s about a pattern of poor decision-making, disregard for expert advice, and a cavalier attitude towards ratepayers’ money. They had every opportunity to stop this project in its tracks when constraints were flagged over six months before construction. They could have listened to TfNSW. They could have ensured the design was tested or at least built as planned. Instead, they delivered a diamond-shaped disaster that endangered drivers and humiliated the community on a global stage.
Ratepayers deserve better. We deserve a Council that prioritises safety over shortcuts, transparency over excuses, and value for money over waste. Until Liverpool City Council gets its act together, we’ll keep seeing these absurd blunders—each one more costly and embarrassing than the last.
This latest report couldn’t come at a worse time for Liverpool City Council who already in the middle of a public inquiry.
