Pomonal project moving forward

Work is progressing on a Pomonal Speed Safe Initiative after residents voted for their preferred traffic treatment option at the town’s primary school.

The project started in response to community concerns about the high speeds some drivers travelled through Pomonal.

Ararat Rural City Council developed four concept plans and presented them to residents last month.

Council chief executive Tim Harrison said residents were asked to vote on the four concepts, with a primary school idea proving the most popular.

Dr Harrison said data collected last year by the council showed about 25

percent of vehicles travelled through Pomonal at speeds higher than the 60kph limit.

“Although there are plenty of traditional speed signs in Pomonal, drivers are either not noticing them or are ignoring them, which is extremely concerning,” he said.

“As a result, it was decided a more innovative approach was needed to give drivers greater visual cues that they are driving through a built-up area and need to slow down.”

Regional Roads Victoria’s Towards Safer Speeds Challenge grant scheme provided the council $50,000 for the project.

After the council surveyed the community for ideas it engaged a landscape architect to develop four concepts that would help the ideas come to life.

Dr Harrison said with limited funding, the council could only implement one of the concepts ‘at this stage’ so it asked the community in April to vote on a preferred option.

Dr Harrison added the council was now seeking more funding to complete the other three ideas.

The four concepts were: • Pomonal Primary School – installing a pedestrian crossing, creating a gathering space for student drop off and pick up, landscaping, widening the footpath and installing public art. • Sculptural town entrances – using local artists, creating large town entrance signs referencing the natural environment, surrounded by landscaping. • General Store intersection – road and traffic treatments to better delineate the intersection and better manage traffic flow, and the installation of large public art pieces. • Pomonal Community Hall – installation of a sculptural fence, landscape plantings, signage and grouped seating areas.

The Pomonal Primary School project was the most popular, with the intersection concept coming second, the town entrances third and the Pomonal Community Hall fourth.

A group of residents and representatives of Pomonal Primary School and Pomonal Progress Association are driving the project. native

Dr Harrison said an April drop-in session involving the project was well attended, with about 70 people calling in to view the concepts and vote.

“Those who dropped in included Pomonal Primary School students. It was great to see them come down as a group and take part in the consultation,” he said.

“Council staff, Regional Roads Victoria, and landscape architect Felicity Brown were all on hand to discuss the concepts, and there were many questions and positive discussion around the ideas.

“It was fantastic to see the community come out in force and show their passion and commitment to make their village safer for everyone.”