This Bizarre Newly Installed Diamond-Shaped Roundabout Has Locals Baffled

In the south-west Sydney suburb of Austral, a newly installed diamond-shaped ’roundabout’ is turning heads— and in the ‘whiplash’ kind of way, unfortunately.

What was meant to be a standard intersection upgrade has quickly become a point of confusion, frustration and near-collision, as aerial footage reveals vehicles navigating the unconventional design with wildly varying interpretations of the rules.

Located at the junction of Twenty-Eighth and Fifteenth Avenues, the roundabout looks more like a stretched hexagon than anything resembling standard Australian road infrastructure. Built as part of the Western Sydney infrastructure rollout funded under the state’s rezoning and development push, the intersection has become an unintentional case study in how not to introduce new traffic designs.

While conventional roundabouts are built with a central circular island and clearly marked entry and exit points, this one appears to be missing key visual cues—namely, definitive road markings, signage, and potentially even kerbing in some directions.

Footage captured by Nine News shows cars doing awkward three-point turns after not being able to turn all the way through when making a right-hand turn, others speeding through without yielding, others stopping awkwardly in the middle of the roundabout after ignoring it and trying to make regular right turn.

Locals have taken to social media to share their bewilderment, many calling it “Sydney’s worst roundabout” and questioning how it passed road safety assessments. Critics say the design is not just poor—it’s actively dangerous.

The roundabout forms part of the 10-year South West Growth Area road upgrades, which aim to support rapid development in Liverpool’s fringe suburbs as housing demand grows. But critics say this particular intersection undermines the project’s intent, especially given its proximity to schools, parks and residential housing.

As urban sprawl pushes Sydney’s fringes further into greenfield territory, Austral’s oddly shaped roundabout serves as a cautionary tale – perhaps roundabouts are round for a reason.