Wednesday, 3 May 2023

Murray Valley Highway–Labuan Road, Yarroweyah

Rikkie-Lee TYRRELL (Northern Victoria) (17:25): (174) Today I would like to utilise my adjournment matter to add additional strength to Ms Lovell’s statement regarding the requirements for a remodelling of the Labuan Road and Murray Valley Highway intersection near Strathmerton. As such, it is directed to the minister representing the Minister for Roads and Road Safety.

With its long history of fatal accidents, this intersection is notoriously dangerous. Within the last 18 months two police officers have been seriously injured and one other driver has been killed. Most recently, on 20 April, a three-vehicle accident killed five people and was deemed by local emergency services the worst accident in the region for 12 years. A combination of speed and the blind crossing that the intersection creates has been reported as the cause of this specific accident. The driver of the allegedly speeding vehicle is reported to have been pulled over by police for speeding just minutes before this horror unfolded. After speaking to some of my constituents and local emergency services who traverse the intersection daily, capitalising on local knowledge, an unofficial general consensus has begun to formulate on best practice for the reparation of the hazardous intersection. With the removal of the hump on Labuan Road and its replacement with rumble strips and permanent warning lights, a significant reduction in risk to human life would ensue. As a matter of urgency, will the minister commit to ensuring these life-saving infrastructure measures are implemented within the next six months?