Local highway patrol officer awarded Dr John Birrell Award

THE Rotary Clubs of Bellarine North and Bayside Geelong have hosted this year’s Dr John Birrell Road Safety Practitioner of the Year Awards.

Held in conjunction with Victoria Police Western Region Division 1 on May 6, the annual awards honour the work being done around the region to reduce road incidents.

This year’s award went to Geelong Highway Patrol’s Leading Senior Constable Michael McKay, who was recognised for his work in keeping local roads safe.

In 2025, Mr McKay has processed 55 offenders and been involved with impounding 29 vehicles.

As part of the awards, each rotary club allocates $1,500 towards a road safety support organisation selected by the nominated officer.

This year’s funding was awarded to Alex Prestney who organised Run the Bay for Road Safety with road safety awareness group the Amber Community to benefit from the money.

Mr Prestney trekked from Albert Park through to Corio, Dromana, across the Bay and back to Albert Park raising awareness for road safety after losing his brother, who was one of the four police officers who lost their lives on the Eastern Freeway in April 2020.

Luke Elliott is the regional co-ordinator and Facilitator for the Amber Community in the Barwon South-West Region, collaborating with road trauma volunteers, Victoria Police, emergency services and others to educate drivers on the impact of road trauma.

The Dr John Birrell Road Safety Awards was introduced by the Rotary Club of Warrnambool East to acknowledge the work of the police surgeon’s work in reducing the road toll.

The awards also included a presentation from Detective Senior Sergeant Nick Ubergang who spoke on family violence and the role of Victoria Police.