Residents demand roundabout

WHERE is our roundabout? That is the question residents and politicians have fired at the State Government after waiting a year for work to begin on promised road safety improvements at the notorious Baxter-Tooradin Road and South Gippsland Highway intersection.
The Government last year announced it would construct a roundabout at the intersection following numerous collisions.
However Flinders MP Greg Hunt this week demanded to know why construction was so far behind the scheduled completion date of December 2005.
“The community was told that tenders would be decided in April, work would start in August and be finished by December 2005.
“To date we haven’t even seen as much as a piece of chalk on the road and no word from (Hastings MP) Ms Buchanan about its progress,” he said.
Mr Hunt said the intersection was dangerous and lives were put at risk by the delay.
“It is just not good enough when drivers face the danger of using this intersection on a daily basis. This is the reason the local community had put up such a fight for State Government funding in the first place,” he said.
“Making an announcement is one thing but the government needs to put its money where its mouth is and get on with the job.”
Hastings MP Rosy Buchanan denied Mr Hunt’s accusations that the intersection had not seen “as much as a piece of chalk”, claiming preparations were well under way.
Ms Buchanan said contractors were due to commence construction in the next week.
“The site has clearly been marked out, the site sheds are in place and safety signage is currently being erected,” she said.
Ms Buchanan said the Government would spend $3.13 million on the project, which is expected to be completed within 12 to 15 weeks. She urged motorists to be aware of the changed road conditions and obey the modified speed signs during the construction.