Road repair: Shire seeks up to $1.7m in funds for Black Spot projects

THE Surf Coast Shire will apply for much as $1.7 million from the Black Spot Program to go towards three road safety projects in Torquay and near Bambra.

At their meeting last month, councillors unanimously resolved to authorise chief executive officer Robyn Seymour to seek funding from the federal government program, which supports works at particular sites or lengths of road with a proven history of crashes, as well as at road locations considered as “accidents waiting to happen”.

According to the report presented to councillors, the state Department of Transport and Planning – which administers the program at the state level – approached the shire about Black Spot funding in 2024-24 and recommdended the shire put forward locations across the local roads that the shire manages.
Shire officers recommended applying for funding for three projects:

• Bell Street, Torquay between Surf Coast Highway and Rudd Avenue, including the installation of raised shared crossings across Bell Street and on side roads and shared footpath up to an estimated cost of $590,000
• Bambra-Aireys Inlet Road near Bambra, including intersection improvements at Breakfast Creek Road, limited barrier installation and improved delineation from Hammonds Road to Breakfast Creek Road up to a cost of $580,000, and
• Darian Road between Surf Coast Highway and The Esplanade in Torquay, including improved pedestrian road crossings and speed control platforms and cycle lane improvements up to an estimated cost of $510,000.

The Black Spot Program fully funds projects, so the Surf Coast Shire will not have to co-contribute any of its own money, but will be responsible for the ongoing management of the new infrastructure.

“Applications must include a detailed assessment of potential projects in line with safe system principles and are heavily reliant on supporting accident and traffic data,” the report states.

“Accordingly, council officers have considered the program criteria, seeking advice from the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) as the administering body, and have settled on the recommended locations as the council’s best chance of securing funding.

“Council has identified accident areas within the shire along DTP-managed roads such as the Great Ocean Road, Bell Beach Road and Anglesea Road, however, as these are not on council-managed roads, they are ineligible for funding through the Black Spot Program.”

The shire has done well in its recent applications to deliver road safety improvements through the Black Spot Program, including about $1,268,000 last year.

Speaking at the October 24 meeting, Cr Adrian Schonfelder welcomed the officers’ selection of projects.

“As a person who frequents Bell Street quite often, I realise the numbers of people who congregate there, and I’ve attended birthday parties at the different venues in the area,” he said.

“The volume of pedestrians crossing those different intersections on Bell Street, I’ve noticed an increase, and I also note Darian Road too has become busier.

“I know that when it comes to prioritising certain roads and streets, these three roads are of very high priority.”