The call, which garnered 722 signatures in just weeks and even saw 71 signatures added the day of the submission, came after a young girl was struck by a vehicle while crossing Dunkley Parade during the morning peak hour period in early July.

After she was forced to have two operations to recover from the accident, the region’s action group – which boasts more than 900 members on their social media account – sprung into action, and began collecting signatures to force action on the dangerous intersections.

The message they were sharing was simple, Greg Foster stated: “One injured girl is one too many.”

Read more: Girl taken to hospital after being struck by a car at Mt Hutton

As well as the short-term call for upgrades to the traffic lights on Warners Bay Road, Tennent Road, Progress Road and Dunkley Parade at Mount Hutton, the group is looking for long term solutions with the re-opening of Warners Bay Road.

The group also suggested flashing lights and new line markings could be implemented to provide early warning for motorists approaching the pedestrian crossings in the Charlestown and Eleebana areas.

“The risks around the area at the moment are just massive, there’s a lot of risk to our young children when they’re out and about or just heading to school,” Mr Foster said, and pointed at the Lake Macquarie schools “right on the main road”.

“I believe that Warners Bay Road must be re-opened and connected with the Dunkley Parade bypass because it would solve all the problems that we’ve been facing. That’s just a long-term goal I would presume, and hope.”

The action group spread across the area quickly, setting up shop with the petition on hand at the Lake Macquarie Fair and other commercial areas.

“I think we did pretty good as a group, it was great to be able to collect these signatures and then head down to Sydney and see something begin to get done about these problems,” Mr Foster said.

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Although the action group had done the leg work with more than 700 signatures under their belts, Scot MacDonald stepped in to help the final steps of the process which included the submission of the petition.

The Hunter’s parliamentary secretary praised the combined Mount Hutton and Windale group for their actions towards solving the problem in their area, and said he hoped he could do “whatever he could manage” to further their cause.

“It’s a good group there, they hold regular meetings, and they are determined to work with government to fix these problems,” Mr MacDonald said. “They’ve put in the work, got a show of support, and then they’ve fronted up with this evidence that this is something that needs to be done.”

“That gets the attention of government – whether it be state or local – and it shows that they have a voice behind them. It gives a little bit of imperative for government to follow up.

“These are regional roads under the control of local council, so we don’t have direct control over the roads because they are in the care of councils, but if they want to involve us in any reviews and options I certainly encourage Roads and Maritime Services to do that.”

The community action group met with Lake Macquarie City Council representatives on Thursday afternoon, after their representatives had returned from Sydney, to discuss more potential short-term solutions to the dangers many of the intersections pose.

At the meeting, council representatives suggested the matter could be referred to the council traffic committee, which could lead to a local investigation of the area being launched.

The Mount Hutton-Windale Residents Action Group also recently became embroiled in negotiations to swap ownership of several parcels of land in and around Windale.

A project to upgrade one of the Lower Hunter’s most degraded waterways had been put on hold in June after a stand-off between Lake Macquarie Council and Land & Housing.

Works are expected to commence in September.