Community safety is supposed to be the bedrock of many Council policies – especially road and pedestrian safety. That’s why the following Leader article caught our eye. It says a lot about the gulf between rhetoric, spin, and public relations compared to the realities which confront residents on a daily basis. Council’s response is woeful. When safety is an issue it should not take 3 years for any responsible action. We remind readers that when it was deemed necessary (as an afterthought) to extend the GESAC carpark and relocate a playground, nearly $1 million dollars was found overnight! This tells us plenty about the priorities of this administration.
McKinnon residents’ fears over traffic black spot
3 Jul 12 @ 05:05am by Jessica Bennett
Andrew, who did not want to include his surname, and neighbours have been rallying council to improve safety at the corner of Lindsay St and Balmoral Ave.
He said there had been at least six incidents over the past eight years with drivers losing control around the sharp, narrow corner and smashing through residents’ fences – which happened again on June 6.
“This one is more serious in that the whole car came off the road, mounted the nature strip and smashed into a tree before driving away,” he said.
Resident Richard Kellaway said locals feared someone would be killed at the corner, a popular route for children walking to school, if council did not act.
In a letter to Andrew, council’s transport planning manager Matthew Harridge said a road safety auditor recommended resurfacing/reconstruction of Lindsay St within three years.
He also said the installation of a high-friction surface would be brought forward in the 2012/13 financial year.
PS: A reader has sent us the following. This Council’s ‘proactivity’ needs comparing with the innovation of others.
Glen Eira Debates 
July 3, 2012 at 3:09 PM
Stonington’s solution is perfect to stop the rat runs that have been created by reducing main roads to 40k not that you could ever do 40 k down the main sections of Glen Huntly or Centre Roads during the day. All bandaid measures that create more problems than they solve.
July 3, 2012 at 3:47 PM
Like the Melbourne Racing Club, Council uses “Safety” and “risk management” when it suits them. Why else did Council put up the barriers forcing pedetrians onto the road along Queens Avenue? Why else does the MRC remove capping on the jagged iron fencing and then not maintain them when they fall off?
July 3, 2012 at 9:21 PM
Since Council only budgets to 4 traffic treatments per year in local streets, so I guess one of them is the high friction surface at this intersection. Am wondering where the other 3 have been, or are going to be, installed.