bridging to belgrave

Cr Samantha Dunn inspects the new bridge over
Monbulk Creek.

Earlier this month work was completed to see a new bridge installed across Monbulk Creek near Park Drive and Belgrave Lake Park.

The original bridge was extensively damaged in the 2011 floods but was temporarily reinstated so pedestrians could still access the track which leads from Selby to Belgrave.

It's terrific to see the new bridge, it provides an important pedestrian link via the Park Drive neighbourhood up to Belgrave and it's good to have a permanent replacement installed.

belgrave south crossing works well underway

It's terrific to see works on the pedestrian crossing really starting to taking shape at Belgrave South.

The crossing is a result of community members raising safety concerns for pedestrians negotiating a busy township. With a busy street catering to a strip shopping centre and a school, crossing Colby Drive is challenging when cars are put in the mix.

The crossing is on raised pavement and traffic calming measures will be installed on Colby Drive at either end of the shopping centre to slow vehicles down. It will certainly be of great assistance to school children and parents accessing Belgrave South Primary School.

50kph well overdue

report from the roundtable - 9 feb

For many years now, I have campaigned to get speed limits through our townships lowered to 50kph. In the four and a half years as a Yarra Ranges councillor, out of a total of 13 towns the shire has campaigned for we have successfully gained 50kph zones in only TWO townships. The townships we still want a 50kph zone for are Belgrave South, Coldstream, Montrose, Millgrove, Mt Evelyn, Mount Dandenong, Selby, Tecoma, Wandin North, Woori Yallock and Yarra Glen.

To say I'm frustrated would be an understatement. In our last attempt to make our townships safer back in April, 2008, the Minister for Roads, Tim Pallas, said that our townships didn't meet the Vic Roads guidelines in that there is not continuous retail development on both sides of the roads for at least 200 metres.

It is obvious that the guidelines do not take into the unique situation of Yarra Ranges. We have challenging topographies, reduced sightlines, rural roads, increased traffic volumes and an increased numbers of pedestrians. Because of our unique situation at Yarra Ranges I moved a motion calling for the Minister to review the guidelines as they do not take into account the specific safety needs and infrastructure constraints for communities in the Shire of Yarra Ranges.

Motion:
That:
1. Council writes to the Minister for Roads and Ports, The Hon Tim Pallas, with a copy to local MPs, to request a review of the Vic Roads guidelines for outer metropolitan townships as this criteria does not take into account the specific safety needs and infrastructure constraints for communities in the Shire of Yarra Ranges.
2. The review particularly takes into account the townships of Belgrave South,
Coldstream, Montrose, Millgrove, Mt Evelyn, Mount Dandenong, Selby, Tecoma,
Wandin North, Woori Yallock and Yarra Glen which have not previously qualified for a 50km/h speed limit under the current guidelines.

Councillors voted unanimously in support of the motion.

Do we have to wait for a tragedy before anything is done? Our community has long asked for these changes to speed limits. Given the Shire's poor road fatality record (the worst in the state) I would have thought that slowing traffic would be an easy ask of Vic Roads and the Minister.

I look forward to a positive response from the Minister and special consideration of our unique situation.

If you'd like to help, you can. If you live in a town where you want a lower speed limit write your own letter to the Minister for Roads and Ports, Tim Pallas, and I'd really like a copy too (s.dunn@yarraranges.vic.gov.au).

safety for selby?

The issue of pedestrian safety in Selby has come up again after the matter was raised by a local community advocate.

In late 2007 $69,000 grey spot funding was provided for Vic Roads to build a concrete median and splitter island. This was to improve road safety.

The completed works on the Belgrave Gembrook Road on the Eastern side of Selby.

I am told the works are now complete and there is no sign of splitter islands, all we have is some road widening with additional line marking.

Back in December 2007 it was with great delight I received the news about funding for Selby via a media release from James Merlino, Member for Monbulk.

The realisation that this is not happening is a bitter disappointment to me and to the community of Selby.

This photo was taken at 11:24am today, during school holidays, a relatively quiet time on the roads locally and there's still plenty of traffic about.

I fail to understand how some additional lines on the road make it safer for people to cross the road.

I fail to understand how some additional lines on the road will slow down traffic.

I fail to understand how some additional lines on the road have improved any of the intersections in Selby.

The traffic is not slowing, the pedestrians are still risking life and limb to cross the road, and there have been no improvements for the community of Selby.

This issue is not going to go away. Our community is very concerned about the safety of pedestrians and the speed of vehicles through the township. The continued reluctance by Vic Roads to change the speed limit to 50kph in Selby adds to their frustration and concern.

There are many facilities residents have to cross the road for, the Pre School, the General Store, Selby Park, the Community House, the Primary School, the very busy GP clinic, the Mechanics, the Church, the Tennis Courts, the bus stops just to name a few.

Safety of pedestrians is an issue that is continually raised with me and I will continue to advocate for improvements not only for Selby but for townships throughout the Shire.

50km/h - vicroads say no, will pallas say yes?

I have decided to take up the challenge of getting some consistency around speed limits in our townships. This issue has come about after significant ongoing community concern about speed limits and pedestrian safety in Selby and Kallista.

Currently Selby and Kallista have 60km/h speed limits, this is too fast for these townships. When I investigated the issue further it seemed that a number of townships throughout the shire have the same issues.

After being completely frustrated with responses from Vic Roads I moved a motion that council write directly to the Minister for Roads and Ports, The Hon Tim Pallas MLA to see if we could finally get some support for lower speed limits.

"Many of our arterial roads, which are the responsibility of VicRoads, have been constructed to rural standards and have not kept pace with development and increasing traffic volumes. These increased traffic volumes and associated speeds present significant risks to children and adults crossing roads to access bus stops, shops and community facilities, particularly in township areas.

Our community often experiences seemingly perplexing responses to requests for lower speed limits, refused by VicRoads on the basis of providing preference for through traffic over local community safety needs. In the mind of the community, these decisions do not often correlate with recent government initiatives for improving community safety such as the reduction of the built-up urban speed limit to 50 km/h, school speed zones of 40 km/h and metropolitan strip shopping centres speed zones of 40 km/h.

The Shire has previously received support from VicRoads for the installation of 50 km/h speed zones on arterial roads through the townships of Belgrave, Healesville, Lilydale, Monbulk, Olinda, Seville, Yarra Junction, Warburton and Wesburn.

These speed limit reductions have been greatly welcomed by the local communities, however upon further application to VicRoads for similar reductions on arterial roads through other townships across the municipality the Shire has received a response that no further reductions will occur until a review of metropolitan strip shopping centre in town centre speed limits has been completed. These requests for further reductions date back to May 2003."

This photo of Belgrave-Gembrook Road, Selby was taken on a Tuesday at midday. This is not a quiet little rural lane, I would like to see how someone from VicRoads negotiates crossing the road with young children in tow. Do we have to wait for a fatality before we see some change, I hope not.

This is a very important community safety issue, many members of the community have asked numerous times for the speed limits to be reduced, but all to no avail. I hope the Minister will support our request and we will see a consistent, sensible and safe approach to speed limits throughout our townships.