By Jena Carr
The Queenscliff community opposes the Borough of Queenscliffe’s goal to become the first 30km/h municipality.
The borough identified a proposed reduced speed limit trial within Queenscliff as a key strategy in its draft Active Transport Strategy, which has received a lot of responses from the community.
Community member Lorna Lawson said she wished the council would be more transparent on what it intended to do in the borough.
“Council has advised the community of their plan to implement a 30 km/h speed limit on the roads of the borough in line with their active transport strategy,” she said.
“Many people either know nothing about this matter or only read about it.”
Queenscliffe Community Association president David Connoley said in a submission to the Borough of Queenscliff that he also wanted to see the borough conduct more research on traffic in the area.
“It is worth noting some further evaluation needs to take place now speed limits approaching Queenscliff have been altered,” he said.
“This may have the impact of calming traffic or alternatively traffic may wish to pick up time speeding in the borough.”
The borough accepted a petition opposing the trial during its April meeting, which received 1730 signatures from the community.
Mayor Isabelle Tolhurst said the borough would continue to work with the community to make Queenscliff and the surrounding areas safer.
“We’ve heard concerns around this part of the draft active transport strategy, and we are listening,” she said.
“The request for an active transport strategy to be created is part of the council vision and that vision is an exercise that was created in consultation with community.”
Community consultation on the Transport Plan and the proposed 30-kilometre-an-hour speed limit trial closed on May 1.