By Danielle Galvin
RESIDENTS fighting for a roundabout in Upper Beaconsfield are going around in circles.
Last week, more than 50 residents went along to a heated community meeting at the hall in Salisbury Road.
Lawrie Pritchard is one of the residents who has been calling for the roundabout at the corner of St Georges Road, Salisbury Road and Beaconsfield-Emerald Road for years.
“There’s been a lot of discussion about it,” he said.
“The meeting got quite heated and even though it was generally constructive, people expressed their views which are sometimes very different.”
Gembrook MP Brad Battin and Anita Curnow from VicRoads spoke at the meeting.
Mr Battin said that his office had conducted a survey about the issue and found that pedestrian safety was the priority.
But Mr Pritchard said that it was more complex and he believed most residents expected a roundabout.
“The problem is pedestrian safety and a crossing as well as the number of speeding motorists,” he said.
In June 2010, Cardinia Shire Council estimated that the cost of a roundabout at the intersection would be $400,000.
Mayor Ed Chatwin said that he did not want to comment on the proceedings of the meeting, but that the original $400,000 costing was approved by VicRoads in 2002.
“Originally the design for a roundabout at Upper Beaconsfield was done in 2002 and this was in fact unofficially agreed by VicRoads at that time,” he said.
“Subsequently when the election was on and we were putting up our wish list, that design was brought forward to present day costings but a completely new regulation was enacted.”
He said VicRoads regulations stipulated that B double trucks would have to be able to fit through the roundabout which would push the cost to between $2 and $4 million.
“The plan put forward by VicRoads to put a traffic island and slowing down line of sight requirements would be an elegant way of solving the problem without a roundabout and they have agreed that they would look at the alignment of St Georges and Salisbury Road,” Cr Chatwin said.
In August, Mr Battin hosted a community meeting and reinstated his commitment to improve the intersection.
In an email to the secretary of the Upper Beaconsfield Association later that month, he reinforced that the State Government would deliver on its promise to improve pedestrian safety.
“We had raised a few issues surrounding costing and I am pleased to say that a very good working relationship with council and government will ensure we do deliver,” he said in the email.
A motion was passed at the meeting to ask the Minister for Roads and Public Transport Terry Mulder to step in and speed up the process.
Mr Battin said VicRoads would take into account the views of residents at the meeting.
“Improving safety at the St Georges Road and Beaconsfield-Emerald Road intersection is an important commitment and I will ensure this is delivered for the community of Upper Beaconsfield,” he said.
