Kingsley Collins has lived in Ballarat South for the past 17 years and is calling for council to address road infrastructure he feels is failing to adequately control increasing road traffic in the fringes of central Ballarat. 

A 2015 City of Ballarat Community Road Safety Strategy report stated around 10 per cent more serious injury crashes occurred on local roads than arterial roads. 

In 2015 Wendouree Parade, Eureka Street, Doveton Street North, Dana Street, Barkly Street and Eyre Street were at the top of a list of 38 priority local roads identified as strategic routes that need urgent attention. It is not yet clear if those issues have been addressed.

Ballarat mayor Des Hudson said the city was seeing a surge in the number of motorists on the roads. He said council was always finding ways to apply for black spot funding – which is dependant on crash data. “A priority of council is to determine how we can fund local roads.

“What drives the road hierarchy are issues around casualty data, we look at some of the intersection traffic and (can apply for) black spot funding.”

Cr Hudson said as well as applying for funding it was imperative agencies worked together to encourage residents to report hooin driving by collecting number plate  data and vehicle description.

He said drivers must be aware that their hoon actions could have devastating impacts, potentially causing fatal accidents.  Mr Collins has urged council to investigate options, including installing roundabouts at some residential intersections. 

“Over the past few years the area has become something of a hoon mecca – especially given a number of broad intersection that include the intersection of South Street and Errard Street,” Mr Collins said.

“South Street has also developed into a rat run for vehicles travelling – often at speed – from Drummond Street through to Skipton Street, as an alternative to using Sturt or Eyre Street.

A new road plan should be released within 12 months. 

The City of Ballarat announced it will address high priority local road work after admitting it has taken a long time to respond to concerns put forward by residents. 

Local resident Kingsley Collins contacted The Courier after council failed to respond to his letter outlining a number of concerns about local road maintenance infrastructure in Ballarat. 

Council confirmed it will undertake much needed local area traffic management works at Whitta Street, Sebastopol; Lylia Avenue at the Dallas Avenue intersection; Joseph Street – from Clayton to Elsworth Street; at Armstrong Street and Clarke Street by the end of 2017.  

A council spokeswoman confirmed the city’s road network is managed under a defined hierarchy determining which roads received priority upgrades. 

Council could not provide requested data on traffic level in Eyre Street, which Mr Collins believed had increased significantly, instead responding that the road was classified as a link road and was intended to function as an east-west traffic route. 

Council has not released updated Ballarat Road Transport Strategy since 2007, but has stated it is currently commissioning an “expert” firm.