“Clever” wheelie bin hack stops traffic but maybe saved a life.

By ANNA USHER

A red wheelie bin placed in the middle of Cardinal St in Mosman has been praised as a “clever” act that may have prevented a fatal accident.

The bin was spotted by Councillor Simon Menzies last Wednesday morning, after a resident placed it over a sinkhole.

And while it may have looked insignificant, there were major concerns the gravel ditch could have caused a dangerous incident.

“It was a significant sinkhole,” Councillor Simon Menzies said, “The resident got to it very early and it was small, but the concern was that someone could have driven over the top of it, and the whole thing may have collapsed and the car fallen in.”

When the alarm was raised, Councillor Menzies said crews were called quickly to fix the issue.

“The bin trick was a great idea… it was clever… It stopped anybody driving into it and stopped potentially a pedestrian crossing the road from falling into it, or losing a dog down there,” Menzies said. “Council staff will be keeping a very close eye on the streets to see if there is any systemic problem there.”

Sinkhole Fast Facts

Sinkholes are caused by underground erosion when water is the driving force behind it. Sinkholes are particularly dangerous when this erosion occurs under roads or buildings, meaning weakened surfaces suddenly collapse on itself. Storms increase the likelihood of sinkholes occurring but they can happen at anytime.

In the past, there have been several sinkholes on the north shore, but thankfully they are “not common”, Menzies said.

A sinkhole appeared on Manly Corso last August, caused by a leakage in a storm water pipe.

And, in July 2016, a North Sydney Council worker had a lucky escape when he fell into a hidden sinkhole on a footpath in Milsons Point.

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