Hepburn Shire Council is forging ahead with its efforts to reduce the speed on a dangerous stretch of road in Trentham which has been the scene of a number of fatalities.
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The Chanters Lane part is absolutely imperative, it’s such a dangerous road and the edges are very poor.
- Susie Spence - Trentham East resident
Last Tuesday Hepburn Shire councillors voted in favour of conducting a review of the speed along Pearsons Road in Trentham East.
During the review, the council will pay particular attention to the stretch of road near James Lane.
The speed limit is currently 100km/h, however a number of concerned community members are calling on this to be dropped to 80km/h.
Council also agreed to write to VicRoads requesting the speed limit along Chanters Lane, which joins onto Pearsons Road, be dropped from 100km/h to 80 km/h.
Hepburn Shire councillors Don Henderson, John Cottrell and mayor Sebastian Klein all spoke in support of the motion for the review at last week’s council meeting in Clunes.
Cr Cottrell said “with some of the road conditions we have these speed limits don't meet the safety requirements of the community”.
Three fatalities have been registered along Chanters Lane and Pearsons Road in the past 15 years.
The most recent fatality occurred in September last year when a four-wheel drive rolled and crashed into a tree.
The roads in question run along the border of the Hepburn and Macedon Ranges shires.
A group of concerned Trentham residents have been actively lobbying for months to alter speeds along the roads.
In March this year, the group of vocal residents met with Cr Klein and Macedon Ranges mayor Jennifer Anderson to express their concerns about the roads.
Trentham resident Susie Spence knows first-hand the dangers of the road. Her husband died on the road 15 years ago and she said the changes to Chanters Lane were greatly overdue.
“The Chanters Lane part is absolutely imperative, it’s such a dangerous road and the edges are very poor,” Ms Spence said.
Speaking to Fairfax Media in March, VicRoads acting planning manager Brad Pryor said “we encourage the local community to work with Hepburn Shire Council in submitting a request and would look favourably upon a proposal to reduce the speed limit on these roads”.