Rutherglen has a truck problem – it has for years – and residents want to start turning talk into action.
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Concerns about heavy vehicle traffic through the main street have taken form in a series of sticky notes on the community board.
The town’s sign has also been changed to highlight the issue.
Resident Ern Walder said ramifications of added traffic from developments including Barnawartha’s Logic Centre had not been addressed by VicRoads.
“Their duty of care finishes at those facilities and doesn’t extend any further into the towns,” he said.
“Until we get statistics on accidents or people killed, they don’t care because as far as things go for them, there’s nothing wrong with the road.”
Mr Walder said there were a number of possible solutions to the problem and nominated a diversion route of trucks away from the town as the best option.
“There’s a lot of talk about bypasses but I think we can do better with just a redirection of vehicles out of the main street through town,” he said.
“It could go through Up River Road and back out through Gooramadda Road. That’s the most cost effective option, I would believe,” he said.
A spokesman told The Border Mail VicRoads was prepared to work with council and the people of Rutherglen to develop proposals that would remove the need for heavy vehicles to travel along the main street.
Indigo Shire councillor Roberta Horne, who has spearheaded the petition, said the council would not take a position on the best solution.
“It’s for VicRoads to sort out … we want them to tell us what they can do rather than what they can’t do.
“We were minus three in priorities in 2014, so we’re not on the starting list. It’s an accident waiting to happen.
“We’re hoping there’s something they can do with the speed or put a curfew on the traffic.”
Indi MP Cathy McGowan, who met Cr Horne and residents on Wednesday, took the issue to Victorian Transport Minister Jacinta Allan.
“I had a good chat about it with her and she’s very interested in what’s happening in Rutherglen and has asked for a briefing,” she said.
“She has asked member for northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes to get her a report.
“Symes is meeting with the chief executive of Indigo Shire Friday week and they will discuss the options then.”
