Speed limit along Mt Helen section of road to be assessed

A REVIEW is being conducted into the speed limit on a section of Geelong Road in Mount Helen.

It came after a petition from residents was submitted to the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP).

Those residents were concerned about the safety of pedestrians and koalas between Shire and Moss avenues, particularly around Gear and Boak avenues.

One of those residents, Linda Zibell, thought the review was “fantastic”.

Last week, it was confirmed that the department would conduct a review on the existing 70km/h speed zone on Geelong Road, approximately between Greenhill Road and Union Jack Lane. Adjacent speed zones might also be considered.

The department is set to work with road safety partners such as Victoria Police and the City of Ballarat throughout the process.

“When setting speed limits, we need to carefully balance keeping everyone safe on our roads and keeping people moving,” said Michael Bailey, the department’s executive director for Barwon, south-west and Grampians regions.

“We’re aware of concerns relating to koalas in the area, and koala warning signs are in place between University Drive and Buninyong.”

The department will conduct the review based on the DTP Speed Zoning Policy and Technical Guidelines.

It has a group of experts which set speed limits based on factors such as road environment, crash risk and history, and how people use the road.

The department also considered the Victorian Movement and Place Framework.

Speed limits and zones are reviewed on a case-by-case basis in response to community feedback or changes to the road environment.

Linda Zibell was one of the residents who had petitioned for a speed reduction in this area.

She welcomed the review and was grateful for the City of Ballarat’s advocacy on the issue.

“I think that they’ll see that things have really changed over the last five years,” she said, “and there’s a lot of traffic along there and pedestrians are struggling.”