Community callout for slower speeds

REDUCTIONS for some of the speed limits in the region’s arterial roads may be on the way following a request from Golden Plains Shire staff for community feedback on the issue.

Input is being sought on the proposed lowering of nine roads with the speed of most of them sitting at 80kph or more.

Golden Plains Shire mayor Cr Brett Cunningham said the aim of the proposal is to increase safety for vehicle and foot traffic.

“Council is continually looking to improve road user and pedestrian safety across the Shire and these speed limit reductions are the next step to ensuring increased safety for all residents and visitors to the Shire,” he said.

“I encourage all residents to review all roads with proposed speed limit changes and provide their valuable feedback for the safety and benefit of everyone in Golden Plains.”

Many of the roads have been chosen as a result of past community input, as well as their proximity to residential properties and town centres.

The proposed changes include reducing the entirety of Haddon’s Wilsons and Thomas roads from 100kph to 80kph, and 60kph to 50kph respectively.

Inverleigh’s Teesdale-Inverleigh Road could be reduced from 100kph to 80kph just before Jollys Road heading towards the Hamilton Highway before dropping again to 60kph leading into town.

Nearly 2000 metres of Vaggs and Bowes roads off the Sebastopol-Smythesdale Road thoroughfare could drop from 100kph to 80kph while the latter’s 60kph from Brooke Street could extend to Pascoe Street.

Sebastopol-Smythesdale Road’s primarily 100kph limit through Ross Creek may also be shortened to 80kph from Ross Creek Road to Kirks Road towards Sebastopol.

Bannockburn’s Clyde and Kelly roads’ existing 60kph limits are proposed to be extended up towards their Midland Highway intersections.

A roughly 700-metre portion of Scotchmans-Lead might also see a drop from 80kph to 60kph.

Jessica Farmer has lived with her husband on a five-acre property on Haddon’s Wilsons Road for just over a year.

She said though she’d welcome a reduction in traffic speed, the issue, as for many of the region’s rural roads, is a complex one.

“The problem is people don’t slow down when they need to,” she said. “I’m a horse owner and ride down Wilsons Road quite often.

“The law is you need to slow down and go wide around horses and livestock and people don’t do that.

“I know there’s at least 10 to 15 other horse-riders on Wilsons Road who’ve been confronted with it and I see people walking their dogs every day. For me personally, 80 would be welcome because it would be safer.

“At the same time, when there’s no one around, and it’s a long farm road, 100 does seem appropriate. It’s a divided opinion. I know my husband doesn’t want the reduction.

“There’ll always be people that don’t like change and people who aren’t affected saying we should be allowed to drive 100 out in the country because it isn’t suburbia.”

Should the municipality proceed with the proposals, staff will need to apply for the reductions through the Department of Transport and Planning.

The process in lowering speed limits in consultation with VicRoads can take up to six months, according to a municipal spokesperson.