By Callum Ludwig
Eildon MP and contesting candidate for the Liberals Cindy McLeish has announced she will address a long-standing issue if a Liberals and Nationals government is formed after the 26 November State election.
Electronic 40-kilometre speed signs on the Warburton Highway outside Wesburn Primary School would finally be installed to help ensure the safety of crossing supervisors, students, teachers, and parents, by alerting drivers to slow down.
Ms McLeish said she has been calling for this safety measure to be installed since 2016 but it has always fallen on deaf ears.
“The current signage at Wesburn Primary School is proving to be quite ineffective — the traffic is not slowing — and school community members are concerned that vehicles are speeding in excess of 40 kilometres per hour on a regular basis,” she said.
“Electronic speed limit signs are a necessity in this location. Parents should be able to send their kids to school and have the confidence that they will arrive there safely.”
A number of safety concerns often plague the road at the spot, the quick changes from 70 kilometres per hour then 50 and then 40 at school times, heavy fog that rolls in and large trucks and vehicles using the Warburton Highway.
A Department of Transport Spokesperson they will continue to monitor the roads around Wesburn Primary School to ensure they remain safe for students, parents and other road users.
“Advanced warning signs and time-based school zone signs are in place to keep students safe and we urge drivers to follow the speed limit and stay alert.”
There are both advanced warning signs and time-based school zone signs along each direction, in accordance with the Speed Zoning Technical Guidelines, which aim to increase driver awareness when approaching the school zone and warn them of increased pedestrian activity during school drop-off and pick-up times.
Labor candidate for Eildon Jane Judd said it is easy to make promises from the Opposition when you don’t have to deliver.
“Cindy has been a member for 12 years and it is time for a change. If elected as the member for Eildon, I will have a seat at the Andrew’s Government table and I will argue forcefully for the electorate and any allocation of funds will be after a comprehensive and objective needs-based assessment, not to catch votes.”
The Department of Transport considers requests for electronic speed signs on a state-wide case-by-case basis with consideration given to a number of factors, such as the number and type of vehicles using the stretch of road, pedestrian volumes, the historical safety record of the site, and the impact that upgrading the road would have on the performance of the surrounding road.
Wesburn Primary School Principal Anne Stenhouse said the school has had many near misses because motorists just don’t notice or pay attention to the signs.
“We have a lot of heavy-duty vehicles coming through on the Warburton Highway, big trucks, buses, transport vehicles, they don’t always notice us, and they need plenty of notice,” she said.
” If we have flashing lights, it makes such a difference to them, recognising that this is a school crossing.”
