By Derek Schlennstedt
Hoons and increased traffic flow from tourism are causing havoc for residents living along Old Healesville Road.
A recent crash along the road and a petition signed by 40 residents has sparked discussion by the council to reduce the speed limit on the road and also improve signage.
At the Yarra Ranges Council meeting held in Healesville on 25 April, 2017, Ryrie Ward Councillor Fiona McAllister requested to renew council’s advocacy to VicRoads to improve speed signage and reduce speed limits on Old Healesville Road.
Speaking to The Mail, Cr McAllister said the road had become a popular route for tourists travelling from the Chocolaterie to Healesville and that there were various blind spots.
“It’s an increasingly heavily used road, and many of the people who use it are not familiar with it at all … it’s not a very wide road and the visibility is terrible in spots,” she said.
In 2014, Yarra Ranges Council submitted a request to VicRoads to reduce the speed limit from 100km/h to 80km/h from Melba Highway to Bleases Lane.
In December 2014, the speed limit from Melba Highway to the Chocolaterie was successfully reduced to 80km/h, but the speed reduction went no further.
Residents are concerned that a major accident is waiting to happen, and several have had their own close calls when turning off the main road into their driveways.
Hoons also drive along the road at night, and residents often hear the distinct sound of burnouts being done along it.
Yarra Valley Chocolaterie owners Leanne and Ian Neeland said that they regularly heard cars doing burnouts and that it had been an ongoing issue since they moved there.
“For the four and half years we’ve been there, it’s been an ongoing concern, along the driveway is all torn up and there’s terrible black screech marks in the entrance area.”
Despite contacting police when it occurs, the only available unit that is able to respond is Lilydale.
This has led to Ian and Leanne even getting in the car to try and obtain the registrations of the vehicles themselves.
“At times, we’ve even tried to drive and follow them to get registration.
“It can start as early as 9pm and go to 3am,” Mrs Neeland said.
Yarra Ranges Highway Patrol Sergeant Graeme Rust said that due to the sporadic nature of the hooning it was quite difficult to identify them and said that while the speed limit was 100km/h that it was the maximum suggested speed and that there were locations where that speed might be excessive.
“The way the bends are and over the crest of the hills, people need to be aware of their surroundings and drive appropriately,” Sgt Rust said.
Yarra Ranges Council spokeswoman, Tracey Varley, said that staff were currently developing a proposal for VicRoads to consider.
