GRAHAMS Road residents have renewed calls for action after a vehicle left the road and came to rest in grass, a week after Macedon Ranges Shire councillors recommended an 80km/h speed limit for the road.
In a letter to The Review, residents said the September 30 incident highlighted their concerns about traffic and safety on the rural gravel road.
The residents had asked council to recommend a 60km/h speed limit to the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP). At its September 23 meeting, Council instead backed a recommendation for 80km/h signs.
The residents said they had been seeking action for years and felt their concerns had been ignored. They thanked Cr Kate Kendall and Cr Andrew Scanlon for supporting their case during the debate.
They also criticised the engineering report considered by councillors, saying it contained flawed data and did not account for evidence provided by residents. The residents said they were concerned the council’s recommendation to DTP might not fully reflect the arguments raised during the meeting.
The letter said residents may seek information through a Freedom of Information request to check what is included in the recommendation.
Residents said they planned to seek police support for speed camera enforcement, obtain new traffic monitoring data if 80km/h signs are installed and report every accident they witness or assist with.
They questioned whether the proposed speed limit would reduce traffic volumes or prevent crashes, and said they hoped there would be no fatalities.
“This particular accident won’t make a traffic statistic but once again highlights why we asked for help,” the letter said. “This is just another day on Grahams Road.”
