Crossing delays: Jamie Gilbert and Wendy Lovell want action on the crossing to separate traffic, including heavy transport, from students.
Photo by
Rodney Braithwaite
More than three years after a frightening accident at a supervised crossing on Goulburn Valley Hwy at Kialla West, families are still having to tread a dangerous path to get to Kialla West Primary School.
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In September 2018 a truck driver failed to slow and crashed into the back of a car belonging to a school family; a mother and her three daughters were all injured, a six-year-old student suffered severe injuries.
Plans for an underpass to provide a permanent solution have since stalled.
Kialla West School Council president Jamie Gilbert said the latest reason for the delays was because of the impact on part of the heritage-listed Calder Woodburn Memorial Avenue, Australia's longest eucalyptus tree-lined memorial avenue which honours all those who enlisted from the region during World War II.
Mr Gilbert said the school community respected the memorial but was also concerned about the ongoing risk to the school community.
More progress on school crossing wanted: Kialla West Primary School Council president Jamie Gilbert and Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell, who are still campaigning for an underpass beneath the Goulburn Valley Hwy at Kialla West.
Photo by
Rodney Braithwaite
“This is the growth corridor for Shepparton for residential growth. Our school is growing in population each year, so the problem just doesn't go away,” he said.
While some short-term measures were put in place after the crash, like more warning signs, Mr Gilbert said one of the big issues was northbound traffic, which could travel at 100km/h or more from Melbourne all the way to the crossing.
“Then you suddenly go from 100 down to 40 at school zone times, that is the biggest of the problems and the biggest of the risk factors,” he said.
“We're lucky that there was no fatality in that accident and we still have near misses that happen on a regular basis.”
Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell said the school community was frustrated and angry at the lack of action, particularly considering recent information from Regional Roads Victoria that further consultation had to be conducted with Heritage Victoria regarding the impact of any works.
“Three years has passed since a little girl was seriously injured at the Kialla West Primary School crossing and the Andrews Labor Government has taken no meaningful action to make the crossing safer for students, teachers and parents,” she said.
A Victorian Government spokesperson said cultural heritage advisors, Heritage Victoria and Greater Shepparton City Council were working with the government to determine the most appropriate solution to improve safety at the crossing.
“Recently imposed health restrictions have limited the opportunity for us to utilise the services of on-site surveyors and arborists to assess the nearby Avenue of Honour memorial trees. However, once that assessment has taken place, we will be able to develop a functional design for the site to present to Heritage Victoria for consideration,” the spokesperson said.
