By Cam Lucadou-Wells
An early learning centre will step up its fight against the looming danger of a 100km/h section of road despite being again rebuffed by the State Government.
Little Joeys Learning Centre and neighbours are calling for a speed reduction and a right-hand turning lane near the centre on Wellington Road, Narre Warren East.
In the most recent rejection, Roads and Road Safety Minister Luke Donnellan – in an answer to a question in State Parliament last week – restated VicRoads’s assessment that the speed limit was appropriate.
“Speed limits are set to provide an appropriate balance between safety and mobility,” Mr Donnellan wrote.
VicRoads considered factors such as the number of access points along the route, the nature of the road environment, adjacent speed zones, road user types and safety history, he stated.
The latter point makes Little Joeys director Emma Robinson wonder if there needs to be a major accident for VicRoads to act.
Parents and staff turning into the centre say they are scared of being rammed by eastbound traffic following them at high-speed.
Drivers approach from behind on a rising bend and are blind to the stationary, turning cars, Ms Robinson says.
The centre, with 149 families, is launching their second petition in recent years to urge VicRoads for a re-think.
Ms Robinson wrote to parents to support the push: “I ask you to please sign the petition to try and ensure we are heard as a community and what is best for our families does not and should not be measured on statistics.”
She told Star News: “We’re a community centre and we’re increasing in numbers every day.
“The junction makes everyone nervous. It’s getting busier and busier.”
Eastern Victoria Liberal MP Edward O’Donohue, who asked the question to Mr Donnellan in Parliament, said the response was a “slap in the face for local residents who are in fear of their safety”.
“It’s time the city centric Andrews Government listened to these genuine concerns of the community.”
In the five years up to 30 June, there was one recorded casualty on the 100km/h section – about 90 metres west of the Monash Road intersection.
However across a wider section between Berwick Road and Clematis, there have been one fatality and four serious injuries since July 2014.
Earlier this year, two cars collided in the road’s 80km/h zone to the west, according to Wellington Road residents.
VicRoads has previously told Star News that the road section was assessed as consistent with similar 100km/h roads across the state.
