22 March 2011
Mr MORRIS (Mornington) — It is a pleasure to raise this evening a matter for the Minister for Roads. The matter relates to the Esplanade at MountMartha. My request is that the minister liaise with VicRoads to ensure that the temporary summer 50‑kilometre‑an‑hour speed limit which has been established on the Esplanade at MountMartha — in fact, it was established in late December of 2010 — be extended to operate throughout the year.
The Esplanade is at that point an arterial road. I believe its formal name is the Mornington‑Dromana Road. Now it basically supports local traffic. There are a number of alternative through routes, all of which are more direct and multilane — the Nepean Highway, the Moorooduc Highway and, after 2012, Peninsula Link, so the road is in practice a local road, even though it is classified as arterial.
The precinct in which the restrictions now apply is in the area immediately adjacent to the Mount Martha Village commercial centre. It is a good‑sized local shopping centre which has slow‑moving local traffic, car parking, lots of pedestrians and lots of cars — all of which is separated from the Esplanade by only a rather narrow landscaped strip.
On the other side of the Esplanade is Mount Martha south beach, one of the best beaches on Port Phillip Bay. That is certainly beyond question, despite the member for Sandringham’s thoughts.
Also over the road are the Mount Martha Yacht Club and the Mount Martha Life Saving Club, both of which are successful and now substantial organisations. The lifesaving club in particular has a very big Nippers program, so lots of younger kids cross the road at all times of the year, not just in the summertime.
The interim speed limits were introduced as part of a process to construct a crossing which was an election commitment of the coalition, and that is proceeding. The speed limits were put in on an interim basis and have worked extremely well. They have slowed down traffic and have been very popular with the local community as well. I think this is definitely a situation where it is not simply a summertime facility; it is a year‑round facility.
The speed limits need to be extended, and I urge the minister to act and get that done.
Legislative Assembly 22 March 2011
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