Liam McNally
More than 140 Diggers Rest residents have signed a petition asking Melton council to stop large trucks using Diggers-Rest Coimadai Road.
Councillor Justine Farrugia tabled the petition at a recent council meeting, which requested council conduct an immediate review of traffic volumes and apply for a 4.5 tonne load limit for the residential end of Diggers Rest-Coimadai Road between Vineyard Road and the railway station.
Petition submitter and Diggers Rest resident David O’Connor said residents for many years have raised concerns around this section of road.
“It has been observed over time that large vehicles cause an exceptional amount of damage to road infrastructure including wrecked railing and knocked down road signs,” he said.
“They are often overly noisy, especially when engine brakes are applied, and create a level of noticeable pollution.
“Many residents have expressed concerns around driver behaviour, with many experiencing tail-gating and intimidating behaviour along this roadway.”
Residents are also concerned about truck traffic increasing on the road if a limit is not put in place due to growing population, the closure of Holden Road, the development of an employment node and the the proposed level crossing removal on the Old Calder Freeway, which would see a road bridge over the train line connect to Diggers Rest-Coimadai Road.
A Melton council spokesperson said council would consider the request and provide a response to the lead petitioner, however a load limit can only be applied to roads that have a bridge or culvert.
“A load limit on a road can only be applied if there is an asset on the road that would be structurally compromised,” they said.
“Council is not aware of any traffic modelling to indicate whether traffic movements are likely to increase or decrease, noting this will be a key consideration in ongoing liaison with the Level Crossing Removal Authority.”
When asked about the current ‘trucks prohibited’ sign on the road, council said it was aware that a sign is in place but is not aware of when it was installed and it is considered that it may have been installed as a deterrent instead of something enforceable.
