Tuesday, 18 June 2024

Pyrenees Highway

Wendy LOVELL (Northern Victoria) presented a petition bearing 144 signatures:

The petition of certain citizens of the State of Victoria draws to the attention of the Legislative Council the anger and frustration felt by very large numbers of local residents and users of the Pyrenees Hwy between the Calder Fwy and Castlemaine because of a recent unexpected and unexplained reduction in the speed limit to 50km/h for nearly 7 kilometres before Castlemaine, including a section of nearly 2 kilometres where the speed limit has been reduced from 80kph to 50kph. The concerns and objections of the petiioners include the following.

(1) The introduction of a 50kmh limit does not meet the requirements in almost every respect of the Department of Transport Speed Zoning Technical Guidelines. (2) There was virtually no community consultation by the Department, contrary to Section 2.4 of the Department’s Speed Zoning Policy. (3) In 12 years, according to Victorian Road Crash Data. there have been only 2 accidents on that section, with no serious injuries recorded; (4) The new limit is causing alarming and dangerous levels of tail-gating, dangerous overtaking and abusive behavior. (5) Noise has increased, especially use of loud air-brakes by heavy transport trucks supplying Castlemaine. (6) The 50km/h limit causes local people going about their work, business and family responsibilities enormous frustration to drive so slowly for kilometres through national forest and semi-rural properties for no apparent reason. (7) There are already signs of an economic impact on business in Castlemaine and Chewton as many residents of the region, particularly east of Castlemaine, shop elsewhere. (8) It is a cheap – and ineffective – solution to the 700m section of concern as the Pyrenees Hwy enters Castlemaine; (9) It is seriousy anomalous – bordering on incomprehensible – in comparison to two other important highways into Castlemaine where the speed limit remains at 60kp/h through very much denser residential, school and business areas.

The Petitioners therefore request that the Legislative Council call on the Government to immediately re-instate the speed limits in force before the change, but also to introduce sensible safety measures for pedestrians in the short section of the Hwy leading into Castlemaine.

Wendy LOVELL: I move:

That the petition be taken into consideration on the next day of meeting.

Motion agreed to.