Zoe Moffatt
In November 2022, Sunbury resident Mick Dyer witnessed a minor accident on the roundabout at Macedon and Evans streets due to overgrown vegetation inhibiting a driver’s vision.
Just over a year later, Mr Dyer said the roundabout is still an issue, and is ‘dangerous’ and a ‘disgrace’.
Dotted with long grass and weeds, the roundabout is located near the Sunbury Square Shopping Centre and is the responsibility of VicRoads.
According to VicRoads tree policy, it is responsible for vegetation in any centre median of an arterial road and for the roadside of arterial roads in non-urban areas.
When describing the intersection, Mr Dyer said “if you’re sitting in a car you cannot see a car on the roundabout at all”.
“There has been an accident there before and there probably has been again,” he said, referring to the 2022 accident where a car travelling south hit a Holden Commodore’s quarter panel.
When discussing the crash at the time, Mr Dyer said both drivers stopped and exchanged details.
“[The driver at fault] said ‘I’m sorry, I couldn’t see you, because of all the weeds in the roundabout’.
“The other driver said, ‘I couldn’t see either’, I said ‘I don’t blame you, I can’t see’.”
At the time, overgrown vegetation along Macedon Street was one of the reasons Hume council asked the state government to pick up its game when it came to maintaining state roads.
Mr Dyer said VicRoads attended to it over a year ago because of the last accident, and a roundabout on the corner of Riddell Road and Elizabeth Drive also is a hazard.
“There is also a school crossing and a pedestrian crossing there as well, [it’s] so, so dangerous.
“This is a main intersection coming into the shopping centre, it’s a disgrace, people think councils are slack, VicRoads are much worse.”
A Hume council spokesperson said council is concerned with the level of service and has raised this with the Department of Transport and Planning.
“A total of 12 records of overgrown vegetation issues have been reported for Macedon and Evans Street roundabout from July 2023 onwards, this includes two councillors requests,” they said.
“The ongoing improvement of Hume’s roadsides is an issue council remains committed to and will advocate for on behalf of our residents.”
VicRoads was contacted but did not comment by deadline.
