Vineyards pour over signs

By Melissa Donchi
YARRA Valley winegrowers and tourism operators are calling on VicRoads to invest in road signs for new wineries.
Stones of the Yarra Valley in Coldstream and Bulong Estate in Yarra Junction have both voiced their concerns about the lack of signs leading to their backroad locations.
“I’m located at Little Yarra Road in Yarra Junction which is hardly a major road and impossible to find if there’s no signs,” Bulong Estate owner Howard Carter said.
Mr Carter had applied for up to six signs from VicRoads but was told he couldn’t have any.
He said that when he insisted he was at least by law entitled to one or two he was given a ‘finger blade’ which he said was the smallest possible sign.
“My main complaint is one of inequity,” Mr Carter said. “We’ve got all these signs for the big boys that have been here a long time but new businesses are not getting the same treatment.”
Steve Frazer is the owner of Stones of the Yarra Valley and says his one-year-old business has been significantly disadvantaged by the lack of signage.
Mr Frazer said: “Since VicRoads advised us there was a policy in place preventing us from having the signs we have experienced an enormous amount of angst.”
Mr Frazer said VicRoads explained it had a policy that allowed a limited amount of directional signage at any one point on the highway and that they were currently at ‘saturation point.’
“We’ve had tremendous feedback from the public who have said quite simply they couldn’t find us so they went somewhere else,” Mr Frazer said.
Yarra Valley and The Dandenongs Marketing CEO Jennifer Hutchison agrees that there is a serious problem.
“It does seem that there is a strong case for a complete review of tourism signage across Victoria,” Ms Hutchison said.
Evelyn MP Christine Fyffe and Eastern Region MP Edward O’Donohue are currently championing the case for more signs in State Parliament.
Mr O’Donohue has asked the Minister for Roads and Ports to review the VicRoads signage policy with a view to making it fairer and more equitable for all tourist-related businesses, so that all of them can have access to signage.
Shire spokesman James Martin said the shire would welcome a review of the current Vic Roads Tourist Signage Guidelines.
“We feel this should be done in consultation with Tourism Victoria, representative tourism groups and other key stakeholders,” Mr Martin said.
“While we don’t want a proliferation of signs appearing everywhere and spoiling the rural vista, we do believe the current policy can be improved upon to ensure greater fairness.”
VicRoads’ executive director, for network and asset planning Robert Freemantle said in assessing applications for tourist signs on arterial roads, VicRoads applied the criteria set out in the Tourist Signing Guidelines developed jointly by VicRoads and Tourism Victoria.
“ These guidelines have been in place since 1999 and are used to ensure a strategic and consistent approach to promoting tourism across Victoria,” he said.
“VicRoads and Tourism Victoria are developing revised guidelines to further clarify the criteria for tourismrelated signage.”