Councillors will move a motion to push for short- and long-term solutions to improve road safety in Buninyong this week.
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The motion, from south ward councillors Ben Taylor, Des Hudson, and Tracey Hargreaves, notes residents have been calling for a change for decades.
The call for a solution was amplified after two serious truck crashes in a month - one resulting in a rollover at the Warrenheip Street roundabout, the other a high-speed brake failure that resulted in multiple collisions and injuries.
In 2019, Regional Roads Victoria ruled out building a bypass around the city, citing various traffic studies.
However, Cr Taylor said traffic volumes were increasing, and early planning must begin now for a bypass in the future.
In the short-term, traffic calming measures and signage should be installed immediately, he said.
"I live five minutes down from the roundabout, just south of it, I travel through it multiple times a day - I just happened to be there two minutes before the truck rolled over, two cars away from when it happened," he said.
"Council's tried to push the case, but it comes down to the government wanting to do something.
"You have to realise, if you haven't driven this road before, you're going to be in big trouble if you're not braking and managing your speed - truck drivers need to know the consequences, and manage the conditions, because it doesn't take much, with a B-double with a lot of weight, to get out of control when you're going down such a steep hill.
"What's the plan for the future? The traffic's not going to disappear."
The motion, to be heard at the next council meeting on May 25, is for council to write to the state premier and roads minister to request they immediately address community concerns about truck traffic by fast-tracking traffic calming measures, and investigate and develop a long-term solution for how heavy vehicles can best be diverted from the middle of Buninyong.
"If adopted by Council, this motion is a clear call to the State Government to stop using excuses and do something positive to remediate the issues before there is a next time that is so much worse," the councillors state.
"The time to act is now. The risk is real and known. Why wait until a fatal crash occurs and Black Spot funding becomes available? Isn't the TAC Road Safety Campaign about Reducing Harm to Zero?"
The Courier contacted Regional Roads Victoria to arrange a sit-down or phone interview with experts to discuss what could be done, in the short- and long-term, and what is and is not on the table for solutions, but the agency declined the request.
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"We are currently exploring a number of options to address safety concerns around Buninyong - particularly those involving heavy vehicles," a Department of Transport spokesperson said in a statement.
"We will continue working with the City of Ballarat, Victoria Police and the Buninyong and District Community Association on a range of potential safety upgrades."
"As this incident occurred at a council managed site, it would be inappropriate to comment further."
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