Significant progress is being made on proposals to key road intersections at Newham, Lancefield and Woodend, driven by Council-led advocacy to the Victorian Government on behalf of the community.
At the Three Chain Road/Dons Road/Egans Lane intersection in Newham, Council has received approval today from the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) to reduce the speed limit along Three Chain Road to 80km/h, for a 3-kilometre section (1.5km east and west of the intersection).
This follows further investigations and due diligence recently led by Council, including a road safety audit and traffic counters. An item scheduled for next week's April Council Meeting will provide a more detailed update on these efforts, and further potential future improvements.
Mayor Kate Kendall welcomed the approval: "Today's news is a fantastic step in the right direction for safety at this intersection. The incredibly swift action from DTP and Council, in conjunction with steadfast commitment from the community and councillors showcases that anything is possible with the right teamwork and advocacy," she said.
At the High Street/Main Road intersection in Lancefield, which Council called for improvements to in early last month, Council received a letter of acknowledgement from Victorian Minister for Roads and Road Safety, the Hon. Melissa Horne MP.
This letter confirmed that DTP would complete a road safety audit on the intersection by the end of this month, and that the audit's recommendations would be actively considered and shared back with Council.
At the Urquhart Street/High Street intersection in Woodend, which Council has been actively advocating for improvements to since December 2024, DTP noted that it had completed draft designs on the intersection in a March 2026 update on the Transport Victoria website, with stakeholder conversations continuing to finalise these designs for public consultation later in the year.
Mayor Kendall said these other recent wins emphasised the importance of advocacy being an active priority for Council, in regularly collaborating with relevant stakeholders, formally communicating asks, and ultimately keeping the Victorian Government accountable on matters they are responsible for.
"We know our community values the condition of our roads and road safety, so these intersection outcomes are really pleasing – they are positive examples of what happens when we listen to the community, and respectfully remain persistent on important matters as a collective Council," she said.
"We intend to continue ramping up advocacy on a range of matters we've already identified, and also identify new advocacy opportunities that align with our Council Plan and other strategic priorities, to both the sitting government, the opposition and other key decision makers with the State Election later this year in mind."
Visit mrsc.vic.gov.au/Advocacy for updates on Council's advocacy priorities as they progress (with items actively continuing to be added or refined on that page).
