Wednesday, 8 March 2023

Adjournment

Heidelberg-Kinglake Road–Rose Avenue, Hurstbridge

Cindy McLEISH (Eildon) (19:00): (81) My adjournment matter this evening is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety. Hurstbridge residents and parents are very concerned about the dangers for pedestrians, particularly children, crossing the Heidelberg-Kinglake Road. The action I seek is for the minister to organise simple measures to improve pedestrian safety when crossing the Heidelberg-Kinglake Road at Rose Avenue in Hurstbridge.

Currently there are no pedestrian safety measures in place between The Glen and Rose Avenue. Children must cross this busy road after being dropped off by the school bus opposite Rose Avenue. The road is also regularly crossed at other times by pedestrians and cyclists who access the oval, the wetlands, the community hub and the Diamond Creek trail. Those training for cricket, football and basketball also cross here to access sporting grounds. I met with local parents recently to inspect the road at school pick-up time and saw the students ducking off between the traffic to cross the road.

Heidelberg-Kinglake Road is a main road, and it is busy. It is the only road leading to the high schools. It is dangerous for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. The speed limit does drop coming from Wattle Glen from 80 to 60, but despite that, vehicles tend to speed along. This ability is sometimes compromised due to blind corners, and pedestrians are at risk.

There are easy solutions. Nearby Haleys Gully Road has appropriate pedestrian safety measures already in place. They have got multiple refuge islands. They have got pedestrian warning signage, red rumble strips and ample speed signs, and I know the Hurstbridge residents would like to see similar treatments made between The Glen and Rose Avenue. It is wide enough. They can do these sorts of works. Many parents have contacted me. Grant Morgan says:

My 10 year old son and I cross here to access the Hurstbridge Community Hub, the new Diamond Creek Trail, the football oval and cricket nets.

They have had several near misses with cars and heavy vehicles. Kate Mildenhall says:

We regularly walk and ride to and from Hurstbridge. A safe road crossing at Rose Avenue where children could cross safely to join the new track to get to and from Hurstbridge Primary, basketball and football training and in a couple of years Diamond Valley Secondary College would ensure they remain safe and active.

Gabby Morrison says:

Cars frequently speed along the main road at 80km an hour and only really begin to slow as they get nearly into the village past Rose Ave where our kids get off the school bus and have to navigate their way across …

I am fearful that one of them is going to get hit and killed.

Brendan Colville says:

I often have to cross this road as I make my way to the Diamond Creek trail with my kids.

It is a super dangerous intersection and we have had cars slow down for us when we have’nt seen them coming.

Kate and Joel say:

Traffic on Heidelberg-Kinglake main road has massively increased over the years and we now have a generation of kids starting at high school from this area. The combination of kids crossing this road now and the increased traffic is at a dangerous point. The amount of near misses that have occurred as people cross at this point is a real worry and needs to be addressed.

The minister really needs to see that these important measures are put in place.