By Victoria Stone-Meadows
THE debate surrounding flashing 40km/h signs on the Baxter-Tooradin Road near Pearcedale Primary School has heated up, with the Shadow Education Minister lending his voice to the cause.
Shadow Minister for Education Nick Wakeling and MP for Hastings Neale Burgess met with parents of students from the school to call on the State Government to install the flashing signs.
The school community, with the support of Mr Burgess, has requested a number of times for the State Government to install the variable speed limit signs at the school.
On his last visit to the school, Mr Burgess was presented with a 500-signature petition from parents requesting the signs be installed.
On Friday 2 December, Mr Burgess and Mr Wakeling visited the school to further lend their support to the campaign for the signs.
“The Pearcedale Primary School is directly opposite the Pearcedale Shopping Centre, and the two facilities are separated by the very busy Baxter-Tooradin Road,” Mr Burgess said.
“The installation of flashing electronic signs will help ensure motorists are aware of the presence of school children and that the speed limit is 40 km/h.”
Mr Wakeling also called on the State Government to find the installation of the signs, citing safety along the Baxter-Tooradin Road as a major concern.
“The Andrews Labor Government has rejected repeated requests by local schools to install flashing variable speed limit signs,” he said.
“This initiative will save lives, and should not be ignored by Daniel Andrews. We need to make schools the safest place possible for students and teachers.”
Mr Burgess also claimed the State Government has stopped funding the installation of the flashing 40km/h signs.
A spokesperson from the office of the incumbent Minister for Roads Luke Donnellan said the program was still being funded, but the area around Pearcedale Primary School did not meet the requirements.
“The government funds the installation of 40km/h flashing signs on a case by case basis,” the statement said.
“This location has a low-crash history, with no pedestrian-related crashes recorded in the past five years.”
“However, we will continue to monitor Baxter-Tooradin Road and work with their community around any future improvements.”
Mr Donnellan’s office also pointed out the Baxter-Tooradin Road carries about 8000 vehicles a day, and there have been no pedestrian-related crashes between Middle Road and Pearcedale Road in the latest five-year period, ending 31 December 2015.
Brooke Skilton, who has four children that attend Pearcedale Primary School, said the car traffic volume was not parents’ concern with the road.
“Baxter-Tooradin Road is a thoroughfare for big trucks between the Western Port Highway and the South Gippsland Highway,” she said.
“They barrel through at all times of the day and night, and in my seven years involved at the school, I have observed lots of near misses.”
“The poor lollypop lady takes her life in her hands every day; it’s just an accident waiting to happen.”
Like many parents, Ms Skilton believes the flashing signs will make a big difference to road safety around the school.
“I think every school in the state should have them,” she said.
“I don’t think one school is more worthy than another school, but I believe Pearcedale is worthy.”
