Petition calls for Smith St change
Almost 800 community members have signed a petition urging Baw Baw Shire to abandon plans to convert a section of Smith St, Warragul to one way traffic.
The works are expected to begin next month after council awarded the $1.5 million tender to Mad Cat Constructions in December.
The project will create one way traffic flow in a southerly direction in Smith St between Palmerston St and the cenotaph. This next stage of works is expected to complete the link of one way traffic flow, introduced with the one way easterly movement of traffic in Palmerston St last year.
A report to council said the one way traffic arrangement was designed to holistically improve traffic flows in the Warragul central business district.
Also included in the works schedule will be new safer and more accessible pedestrian crossing points; additional disabled car parking spaces (no loss of existing car parking spaces); wider footpath pavement; and, improved pedestrian connectivity to the cenotaph area.
Despite extensive community consultation before the plans were finalised, the tender announcement has triggered an angry response from many people in the community who have used social media and letters to the editor to air their concerns.
Much of the debate has reignited concerns that Palmerston St should never have been made one way last year.
Council staff have not received any formal complaints or submissions.
The petition, launched by Tristan Throup through change.org on social media aims to reach 1000 signatories. Since it was launched two weeks ago, the petition has attracted 782 signatures.
Mr Throup said he had lived in West Gippsland all his life and was sick of some of council’s projects.
“If the current project goes ahead, traffic situations would get much worse and some reductions of car parks will make matters worse. Warragul shouldn’t deserve this at all.
“There has been a lot of growth in the West Gippsland area including Drouin and Warragul. It used to be a humble place to live but from 2010, there are more housing estates, more traffic and there’s insufficient action by the Baw Baw Shire Council.
Mr Throup said some of council’s projects had been a waste of ratepayers’ money on unnecessary things.
He said he decided to take on this issue in an attempt to change council’s position and hoped other people would follow.
Many signatories indicated their reasons for signing the petition on social media including:
Fiona Clark - Congestion has already become a major problem since the change to Palmerston St, we don’t need more traffic issues. I already avoid the Palmerston area because of the change. I absolutely hate it! If this goes ahead, I won’t be shopping in the cbd anymore. I’ve got better things to do with my time than be constantly stuck in traffic jams. The footpaths are wide enough... why do pedestrians need wider ones.
Frank Beamish - We do not need anymore one way streets or obstacles in the CBD it’s like a dog’s breakfast now.
Amy Prokopiwskyi - Such a bad idea. What we do need is shops. Parking. A shopping centre. What the heck are council thinking?
Lauren Treneman - Why should there be another one way street, this doesn’t solve anything, just means cars have to go around all the time and less parking. Waste of time, waste of money.
Brodie Smythe - It will stop people wanting to go to Warragul, and businesses will lose customers and income, forcing them to close. Palmerston St was stupid enough to begin with.
Michelle Rudlin - We need the traffic in Warragul to flow better, not slower. This is a ridiculous idea and will no doubt be reversed within a decade or so, using more ratepayers money. Just more reasons for people to travel out of Warragul to do their shopping.