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Speed zone concerns at Ellinbank Primary

Ellinbank Primary School parents are wondering why the safety of their children is any different to other school students.
The small school is located in Community Place about 120 metres from Hazeldean Road - a 100km zone. There is no school speed zone on the road.


Emily Reynolds has been an Ellinbank primary school parent for several years and has serious concerns about the safety of students - particulalry during pick-up and drop-off times.
She said cars speed by at 100km/h on Hazeldean Rd, making it difficult for cars to exit Community Place during peak time.
Her concerns have been mirrored by other parents at the school, many of whom have already submitted a 'Snap Send Solve' request to the Baw Baw Shire.
"We're wondering why we're different to any other school," Ms Reynolds said.
She said the VicRoads website said school speed zones were "designed to keep kids safe by lowering the speed limit at peak times when children are travelling to and from school", and wondered why students at Ellinbank Primary were any different.
Ms Reynolds said she and other parents at the school had called for the speed limit on Hazeldean Rd to be lowered to 40km/h or at least 60km/h during peak school times.
Currently, there is some signage in the proximity to the turn-off onto Community Place that let drivers know there is a school nearby.
Baw Baw Shire Council community infrastructure director Cohen Van der Velde said council had been approached by community members to investigate the possibility of reducing speed limits around the school.
He said while Hazeldean Rd and Community Plce were managed by council, changes to speed limits needed to be assessed and implemented in line with speed zone guidelines set by the Transport Department.
"Council is undertaking a review and if the review by council indicates the speed limit meets the criteria for a change under these guidelines, council will need to submit a formal request to DoT and seek approval from them before any changes can be implemented," he said.
"At present, there is advisory signage on Hazeldean Rd to indicate the presence of a school at this location to drivers as well as advisory 60km/h speed signs which have been installed to warn drivers of sharp curves in this area. In rural Victoria, the default speed limit outside of built-up areas is 100 km/h and is implemented on roads where there are no speed limit signs installed but drivers are required to drive safely and to the conditions of the road," he said.

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