By Eleanor Wilson
A Liberal and Nationals Government will commit $5 million towards redesigning a notorious road upgrade in Narre Warren North.
Shadow Planning Minister Ryan Smith and Liberal candidate for Narre Warren North Timothy Dragan met with residents at the Hallam Valley Pony Club on 29 September to make the announcement.
Under an elected Liberal and Nationals Government, traffic lights will be installed at the intersection of Crawley Road and Narre Warren North Road, along with a break in the centre at Brundrett Road, they said.
Current designs under the Andrews Labor Government feature the installation of several U-turns on Narre Warren North Road, but locals claim the designs are impractical and unsafe.
Mr Smith said the community’s voice has been ignored in the South Eastern suburbs, resulting in poor planning to deal with local roads and traffic flows under the Andrews Labor Government.
“This intersection needs to be upgraded and it needs to be done urgently for the sake of the community’s safety and peace of mind,” he said.
“Only the Liberals and Nationals will come to the table and commit towards vital safety upgrades at this dangerous intersection.”
Mr Dragan said the intersection upgrade will ensure local pedestrians and road users are kept safe.
“Working with you, not against you, a Matt Guy Liberals and Nationals Government will fix this intersection and make it easier for locals, like myself, to get where they’re going, quicker and safer,” he said.
“As a local, I can tangibly feel what [the residents] are feeling. I drive down this road, I know the dangers of it, and I know the frustrations of the traffic as well.
“As a candidate I want to be able to fight for what’s right for the community, not just for what scores me political points.”
The $63 million Narre Warren North Road Upgrade, which includes the duplication of Narre Warren North Road in both directions between Fox Road and Belgrave-Hallam Road, is currently being undertaken by Major Road Projects Victoria (MRPV), with aims to complete works in 2023.
MRPV says modifying the Brundrett Road and Crawley Road intersections by installing nearby U-turns and making Crawley Road left-in and left-out only will “create safer road conditions for motorists”.
But locals claim the U-turn design isn’t wide enough to accommodate the unique needs of local traffic, which include large horse floats travelling from the Hallam Valley Pony Club, along with trailers, caravans and heavy vehicles.
Confusion also surrounds the decision to alter the design plans, with 2018 designs appearing to include a set of traffic lights at Crawley Road.
“They’ve been blindsided by their own design, they had a flawed design and they chose not to make any changes because it’s just too hard,” said local resident Robert Evans.
MRPV said it has confirmed the U-turn at Memorial Drive is safe for horses in trailers, after making the U-turn wider and engaging with local equine specialists.
Of equal frustration to residents, who formed the Narre Warren North Road Action Group to advocate for a change to the design, is the reported lack of engagement from MRPV.
MRPV claims it has consulted with the action group more than 36 times, but group member Stephen Craig said they’ve had three face-to-face consultations.
“They can’t defend the indefensible, so they don’t engage…we feel like we’ve lost our local representation,” Mr Craig said.
