Road and Safety Upgrades, Westernport Rd.

The VMC were invited by the Minister for Roads and Road Safety and the TAC, the Honourable Jaala Pulford,  to attend a media event in South Gippsland on March 26 to announce the road and safety upgrades to the Westernport Rd between Lang Lang and Drouin. The VMC Chair, Peter Baulch, attended and took the Minister for a pillion ride of approximately 6kms and return.  The event was covered by local print media and TV.

The Minister announced improvements along this road would include the sealing of driveway and intersection bell-mouths, along with rubber caps for safety barrier posts to further mitigate injuries in the event of a vulnerable road user contacting a barrier/posts.
 
The VMC Chair thanked the Minister and VicRoads for the planned upgrades, but in noting that the works are to be funded from the Motorcycle Safety Levy (MSL), he pointed out that any safety upgrades provide a significant benefit to all road users - not just motorcyclists.  Accordingly he proposed that the Minister engage with the VMC and MEAP to discuss a different funding model from the MSL - one whereby all beneficiaries of road enhancements are contributors (vis - Tasmanian model).