Wednesday, 8 February 2023

 Bridget VALLENCE (Evelyn) (19:19): (25) Queens Road, Wandin East, is notoriously a dangerous road – regular severe accidents, fatal accidents. Only a few weeks ago a horror three-car crash left two Victorians dead. What will it take for the government to act? How many more deaths before this government takes seriously the need to upgrade the many known dangerous roads across the Yarra Valley? So today the matter I raise is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety.

On behalf of the residents of Wandin and Seville and the broader Yarra Valley community, the action I seek is for the state government’s Department of Transport to take a proactive role in making vital road safety upgrades to the several dangerous intersections along Queens Road in Wandin East, particularly at Beenak Road, Old Baker Road and Wandin East Road.

Please do not just palm this off as a council road. My community is sick of Yarra Ranges council and the Andrews Labor government trying to pass off to each other the road safety matters and the responsibility to upgrade and make roads safe for motorists and pedestrians in our community right across the Yarra Valley. At the end of the day, my community expects all levels of government to work together so that we can avoid road trauma and deaths. I urge the government to investigate and work with the council to fix Queens Road, Wandin East. Council will need VicRoads’ engagement in any case, because as locals we know how poorly placed the signage is at these three intersections and that funding will be required.

Emergency services workers from Seville CFA, Wandin CFA and Yarra Ranges police – and we owe a great debt to these people as first responders – are forced to see these horrific accidents all too often and have told me enough is enough, and I agree. Just three weeks ago, in the horrific three-car crash, a 30-year-old woman lost her life instantly. She was a local resident – in fact she lived not far from my house – driving to her workplace, a cherry farm on Queens Road, engaged to be married, a bright future ahead of her. The man involved in the horror crash also died days later from his injuries. Local emergency first responders have told me that of all the accidents they have attended, this was just about one of the worst that they had faced.

There is poor visibility, inadequate warnings and poorly placed signage for these three dangerous intersections on Queens Road. I know – I drive through there regularly. My community is demanding leadership, not ignorance. Please lead and help fix this deadly road.