Tuesday, 2 May 2023

Adjournment

Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Early Childhood and Pre-Prep, Minister for Environment) (17:22):

That the house do now adjourn.

Murray Valley Highway–Labuan Road, Yarroweyah

Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) (17:22): (154) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety and concerns the need for an immediate safety upgrade at the intersection of Murray Valley Highway and Labuan Road in Yarroweyah, which was the site of a recent catastrophic motor vehicle collision that claimed the lives of five people. The action that I seek is for the minister to direct Regional Roads Victoria to immediately upgrade safety at this intersection, including the removal of the significant hump in the road just prior to the intersection on Labuan Road, which is part of a decommissioned rail reserve and which blocks any vision of the Murray Valley Highway; changing the status of the controlling signs on Labuan Road from give-way signs to stop signs; installing lighted warning signs on Labuan Road to warn you are approaching a major intersection; the resurfacing of the approach to the intersection on Labuan Road and restoring the badly decayed rumble strips; the removal of some of the trees on both sides of Labuan Road that currently restrict a driver’s view of any vehicles travelling on the Murray Valley Highway; and lighting the intersection at night.

The devastation caused by the recent collision that claimed the lives of five people shocked all Victorians. The collision was the worst on Victorian roads in more than a decade, and the local community surrounding the crash scene continue to struggle with the senseless loss of life caused by the collision at an intersection that was also the site of another fatality not that long ago. I am mindful that the collision is the subject of an ongoing police investigation and possible future legal proceedings, but it is imperative that the Andrews Labor government takes immediate action to improve safety at this intersection.

The intersection in question is a crossroad intersection consisting of the Murray Valley Highway running east–west and Labuan Road running north–south. Labuan Road ends at the intersection and becomes Stokes Road to the north of the highway. The intersection on both Labuan and Stokes roads is controlled by give-way signs. While travelling north on Labuan Road drivers are provided with inadequate signage to warn them of the impending intersection, and trees on both the eastern and western sides of Labuan Road restrict a driver’s view of any traffic on the upcoming major highway.

Some of these trees need to be removed and permanent illuminated signage installed. A decommissioned railway track runs parallel to and just south of the Murray Valley Highway, crossing Labuan Road only a few metres before the intersection. A significant hump in the road accompanies the track, meaning that a motorist’s view of the impending intersection is obscured until driving over the rise, and this hump needs to be removed immediately. While there are currently rumble strips on Labuan Road, the decaying road condition has rendered these ineffective, and the minister must ensure these are restored immediately, along with all other safety measures that I have outlined. The minister should also consider offsetting Labuan and Stokes roads at the intersection.