Council
21 February, 2025
Tehan calls for improved safety for highway towns
FEDERAL Member for Wannon Dan Tehan has called for the Victorian Government and VicRoads to improve road safety along the Hamilton Highway in Darlington, Derrinallum and Lismore at a recent sitting in Parliament.
Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, February 13, Mr Tehan presented a petition with over 200 signatures from residents calling for proper maintenance of the Hamilton Highway and a reduction of the speed limit through Derrinallum and Lismore to 50km/hr.
He said he was presenting the petition on behalf of the Derrinallum Progress Association, which has expressed concerns for the safety of community members along the Hamilton Highway.
As Western District Newspapers reported in October last year, the Derrinallum Progress Association hosted a meeting between residents of the three townships to discuss ways of addressing road safety issues – including speeding through Derrinallum, Lismore and Darlington.
“At that public meeting it was decided to put a petition together to send to VicRoads and say, ‘please do your job properly when it comes to the Hamilton Highway, a state road’,” Mr Tehan said.
“Make sure you maintain it properly, make sure you're upgrading it properly and make sure you’re paying attention to what is happening with regard to the level of traffic and the speed in which people are travelling through these three marvellous towns.
“They are deeply concerned about the state of the Hamilton Highway.
“They want to ensure that part of the Hamilton Highway is properly maintained, and that proper attention is given to public safety.
“They are deeply concerned that the maintenance is not occurring when it comes to this section of road.”
Mr Tehan said residents of Darlington, Derrinallum and Lismore were calling on the Victorian Government and VicRoads to listen to their concerns and act on them.
“They are deeply concerned that VicRoads isn’t paying attention to what is happening with the speed limit,” he said.
“They’re deeply concerned that people are driving through these towns unaware that these are important towns, that there are young children who go to and from school and sport and that it’s absolutely vital that these people and families going to and from work can drive safely in these communities and not have to worry about people speeding or about the conditions of the road.
“I say to the Victorian state government and to VicRoads: please pay attention to this petition.
“Not only will I be tabling it here in the federal parliament, but I will also be sending it to the state minister and to VicRoads.
“All they are asking of VicRoads and the Victorian state Labor government is to be listened to, to be heard and for action to be taken. I call on VicRoads to take that action.”
Mr Tehan said there were two ways VicRoads could take action on community concerns.
“The first way is to immediately address maintenance issues with regard to the part of the Hamilton Highway between Darlington, Derrinallum and Lismore,” he said.
“They must make sure they’re looking at these maintenance issues and putting in the funding that is necessary to take the Hamilton Highway to a place where it’s safe to travel on, where it’s not full of potholes and where the edges are not eroding away.
“The second thing we want VicRoads to do is look at the 50km/h speed limits in two of the towns on the Hamilton Highway.”
Read More: local