General News
31 July, 2023
Petition launched to reduce notorious Clunes bridge speed limit
Clunes residents and the Member for Ripon Martha Haylett are calling for a speed limit reduction on the notorious Bailey Street bridge, believing a serious collision is just around the corner. Ms Haylett handed out a petition to Clunes businesses...
Clunes residents and the Member for Ripon Martha Haylett are calling for a speed limit reduction on the notorious Bailey Street bridge, believing a serious collision is just around the corner.
Ms Haylett handed out a petition to Clunes businesses and community groups last week, encouraging locals and road users to show their support for the speed reduction and safety improvement.
Bailey Street is currently listed as a 60 km/h zone, with the petition proposing to decrease this to 40 km/h over the bridge which is one of the thoroughfares used from Maryborough to Ballarat and Melbourne.
Ms Haylett said locals have regularly raised concerns with her office regarding the bridge — which has sharp corners and low visibility either side — reporting two incidents since the start of the year.
“This is a notoriously dangerous bridge, and the current speed limit of 60 km/h is not appropriate. This petition is an opportunity for people to show their support to reduce the speed and ensure motorists are kept safe on our roads,” she said.
“Locals avoid going across the Bailey Street bridge because they know how dangerous it is — that is simply not good enough.
“I encourage everyone who travels across this bridge and who understands how dangerous it is to sign our petition.”
The petition has been in a number of businesses in Clunes for less than a week and has already attracted hundreds of signatures, with several pages of the petition filled in at the Clunes Pharmacy already.
“We haven’t pointed out that the petition is here and people are signing it so there are a lot of locals who agree,” pharmacy assistant Sam Aiken said.
“If you travel across that bridge at the speed it’s signposted at it’s dangerous.
“For locals that’s probably fine because we’re used to it and know that road but for tourists coming in to town who take guidance from the speed limits, it can be very dangerous.
“I think the petition is a good move forward but why does it need to come to this?
“Speed limits are changed everywhere because it’s deemed necessary, so why does this need a petition — from a safety point of view can’t it just be done?”
The Clunes Football Netball Club recently took part in the annual TAC round aimed at putting road safety in the spotlight.
Club president Andrew Stinch-combe said the round brought home local concerns about the Bailey Street bridge.
“Depending on which team we’re playing, that is one of the bridges either we or the other team cross to access the Clunes ground,” he said.
“It is a little bridge with a bit of a tight corner and sometimes you don’t really know what’s coming.
“If there was a serious accident there it is something that would impact the community and we want to avoid that.
“It’s something we want to see improved for road users but also Clunes residents who walk down that road.”
Petitions are available to sign at the Clunes Pharmacy, Widow Twankeys, Clunes Newsagents, Clunes IGA, @Fifty Two, Valley of Gold Service Station, Clunes Neighbourhood House, BOOM Clunes and O’Hara’s Café Bakery.
The petition is also available online at www.marthahaylett. com.au.
Once the petitions have been collected, Ms Haylett will deliver the signatures to the Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne.