Lest we forget ANZAC Day services, page 14.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2014 - $1.40
Riding high
SAMANTHA Clark, Isabelle Walsh and Natalie Loncar took part in the Tour de Tarwin from Venus Bay to Tarwin Lower on Saturday. Full story on page 47.
DEATH TRAP
By Stuart Biggins
A SPATE of collisions at Leongatha South has prompted calls for a turning lane to be built on the South Gippsland Highway before someone is killed. A tragedy was narrowly avoided when a three car collision occurred on the South Gippsland Highway outside Windmill Ag at Leongatha South on Thursday morning, April 17. Fencing contractor James Haasjes crested the rise on the bend at the ap-
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proach to Windmill Ag and was confronted by vehicles stationary on the two lane highway ahead of him. Unable to stop in time, he careered into the first vehicle, catapulting it into the turning vehicle ahead of it. “If I had been driving a B double rig, which takes all that much longer to stop, I could have killed everyone,” an upset Mr Haasjes said. The incident occurred on a fine morning with good visibility and not a hint of fog. “The way things work, it will take someone to be killed before anything is done,” Mr Haasjes said.
Burchell Panels Leongatha owner Malcolm Mackie said he has attended numerous accidents at the turn-off to Windmill Ag. “It will take more than one person to be killed to get things changed. Our roads around here are stuffed,” he said. Mr Mackie cannot understand why variable speed limit signs of the type used in school precincts are not installed. He believed restricting speed in the area on sale days such as Thursday morning was warranted. But regional manager at Windmill
Ag, Travers Scott, said restricting the speed limit was not the answer. “This is a workplace safety issue for Windmill Ag staff, a number of whom have been involved in accidents out the front. The highway needs a turning lane into Windmill Ag,” he said. “I have addressed this with VicRoads repeatedly without any success and have now turned to WorkSafe to see if it can make something happen. “This is a hazard for our staff.” VicRoads regional director Scott Lawrence said as part of the development of Windmill Ag, VicRoads was
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Eggs everywhere
involved with the access design requirements in conjunction with South Gippsland Shire Council. “As part of this process council placed a number of conditions on the developer to improve the intersection, which were supported by VicRoads and VicRoads is currently working with council to determine if these conditions have been met,” he said. Mr Lawrence said new developments adjacent to arterial roads, in this case the South Gippsland Highway, required approvals and conditions from VicRoads and council.
Wheels on show Page 46