Zoe Moffatt
A Diggers Rest advocacy group is calling on the state government to use uncommitted infrastructure funds to widen and improve the safety of Vineyard Road, following new crash data.
The DREAM advocacy group obtained data from the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) which showed there were 54 crashes from the intersection of Obeid Drive and Vineyard Road, to the intersection of Diggers Rest – Coimadai Road and Vineyard Road, from 2018 to June, 2023.
During this time, 71 people sustained injury, with 22 people sustaining serious injury, requiring acute hospital admission.
The group, which started last year, said this issue is not receiving the attention it deserves, and it is only set to get worse as Melbourne’s growth continues to sprawl through the growth corridor.
“DREAM group has sent multiple requests for additional safety treatments for this road to various parties, including our state member [Sunbury MP Josh Bull], over the last couple of years,” a statement from the group read.
“Indeed the emails back from our elected state member were decidedly non-committal with regard to following up on behalf of the community about this road.
“Since the sending of the email, the DREAM group has had some responses from the various parties but we remain unconvinced the state government is taking the safety risk seriously.
“[We want to] arrange a meeting with the minister for transport and Mr Bull to seriously discuss fixing this issue … our goal as always is to have a safe and well supported community.”
With the topic of money – or lack thereof – at the forefront of everyone’s mind amid state budget time, the DREAM group wants the government to tap into unused Growth Area Infrastructure Contributions (GAIC).
The GAIC fund is a one-off contribution payable by landowners developing land that has been zoned for urban use and development in the Hume and Melton areas, among others.
“Currently, according to the GAIC website, there is [more than $100] million of uncommitted funds in the Hume growth areas fund, this represents uncommitted amounts of 46 per cent of the total funds collected,” the group said.
“Given most of the GAIC collected in the Sunbury – Diggers Rest area is in fact from Diggers Rest and is for the purposes of state projects, we are unsure why this hasn’t been allocated already.”
According to the GAIC website, the Melton area has more than $120 million of uncommitted funds, which equates to 62 per cent of the total funds collected.
Mr Bull said locally, the area will benefit from more than $11 million worth of projects, including $940,000 for active transport connections along Vineyard Road, which will improve safety.
“I have met with the DREAM group and a small amount of other local stakeholders on this issue and will continue to engage in good faith,” he said.
“I take matters of community safety very seriously, and continue to advocate for my community for improvements and upgrades in my capacity as the local member.”
In response to questions about the uncommitted GAIC funding Mr Bull said the question was best directed to the Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny. Ms Kilkenny was contacted for comment.
GAIC: mapshare.vic.gov.au/gaic/
