Don Road–Warburton Highway, Launching Place
Cindy McLEISH (Eildon) (20:43): (1276) I have a matter for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety, and the action I seek is for the minister to ensure that the intersection at the corner of Don Road and the Warburton Highway in Launching Place is upgraded and made safe for pedestrians. This means the guardrail needs to be altered – the position needs to be in slightly different spots – and a footpath also installed. The guardrail currently hugs the corner of the Warburton Highway leading into Don Road. It prevents pedestrians from crossing Don Road safely. Pedestrians must walk between the roadside and the guardrail to cross Don Road. This is particularly squeezy, and it is really only a small space, enough for one person at a time. It is a serious safety risk for schoolchildren crossing Don Road and getting to and from the bus stop, with such little space and nothing between them and oncoming or turning vehicles. I have heard the minister talk in this place before about how safety on the roads is of utmost importance, and I really would like the minister to ensure that the Department of Transport and Planning have a good look at this intersection to change the position of that guardrail and install a footpath so that it can be made a lot safer. It has been causing problems for such a long time, it bends around with the road with shrubs there and it almost falls into the road gutter. There is no designated footpath at the moment, just a track in the grass, and this needs to be altered. There is no guardrail in some spots between the pedestrian and the road traffic.
The pedestrians are primarily school students getting on and off the bus, mostly being dropped off at that point. It is dangerous heading from Launching Place to Warburton because it is downhill and on a sharp corner. It is 80 kilometres an hour on the Warburton Highway and on Don Road, and vehicles tend to fly around this bend. It is really busy in both directions. Directly across the road is the Launching Place Home Hotel, and there is a lot of traffic heading in and out of the car park there and up Warburton Highway and down Don Road. The weather can also make this road crossing even more risky for pedestrians and for drivers. The Yarra Ranges Council and the mayor Jim Child have been particularly proactive in seeking a solution by writing to the Minister for Roads and Road Safety wanting a formal safety review of the site and to upgrade that railing. They want to build a new and purpose-built footpath along the Warburton Highway, remove the old guardrail and install a new guardrail. This absolutely needs to be done. I could not support the Yarra Ranges Council more in their bid to make this intersection much safer for school students.