Recently, one honouring the life of a Hastings teenager, Gavin Langdown, was destroyed in a cowardly attack.

His family and friends were devastated that the place they go to remember their loved one was targeted in such a way.

A South Coast-based, Charles Sturt University student, Sue Welsh, is undertaking a PhD study of the affects the memorials have on family, friends and even motorists.

In the early stages of her research, Mrs Welsh, said it was an interesting subject with many interviewees having a difference of opinion.

“I’m looking at the role that roadside memorials have on people’s grieving process and if it helps or not,” she said.

“I’m also looking at the difference between a cemetery and the memorials.

“Many so far have said the site at which their loved one took their last breath held much more significance for them than a cemetery.”

She said many city councils had their own protocols in relation to the shrines and she wanted to challenge policy makers about their decisions to allow or not allow them to be put up.

“Some councils have a time limit so they have to be taken down after a certain period,” she explained.

“Others have a limit on the size and height.”

A Port Macquarie-Hastings Council spokeswoman said there was no specific policy on the matter for our area and, instead, council follows guidelines established by the RMS.

“These guidelines highlight safety of passing motorists and in some cases pedestrians, as being of paramount importance,” she said. 

“If a roadside memorial was considered a distraction to passing motorists because of its size or structural design, it would be assessed and the requirement for further action, such as removal, would be determined in consultation with a relevant family representative.”

Mrs Welsh said she had come across arguments both for and against the memorials.

She found that some claim the memorials act as a warning to other motorists, while others didn’t want to be subjected to the “gloomy” sight each day.

“At the moment it’s inconclusive, while some say they act as a deterrent to speeding motorists, there is no actual research to say so,” she said.