Speed limit to change after another crash on Euroa-Mansfield Road

FOLLOWING another car crash on a dangerous stretch of Euroa-Mansfield Road a change of speed limit from 100kph to 60kph will come into effect over the coming month, the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) has said. On Melbourne Cup Day, two people – a female driver in her 40s and a male passenger in his 50s – were flown by air ambulance to Royal Melbourne Hospital with serious injuries after crashing a ute into a tree in Gooram, in almost exactly the same location as a fatal crash in August. Gooram CFA captain Michael Stubbe first spoke to The Euroa Gazette in late June regarding the need to lower the speed limit from 100kph to 60kph on the winding 5km stretch of Euroa-Mansfield Road between Ridge Road and the Gooram Falls carpark, where there have been several car crashes this year. The fatal crash in August came about a month after Mr Stubbe had warned the Gazette there would be more fatalities on this stretch of road. Following that crash, representatives from CFA and Victoria Police met with DTP officials, who agreed to change the speed limit but did not share a specific timeframe for implementing the change, according to Mr Stubbe. The DTP has now confirmed the speed limit will be changed to 60kph for this stretch and they anticipate new speed signs will be installed over the coming month. But the crash on Melbourne Cup Day left Mr Stubbe feeling frustrated the speed limit had still not been changed after he met with DTP three months ago. This sentiment was shared by Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell, who had called for the speed limit to be changed after reading about the issue in this masthead and then speaking to Mr Stubbe. She said she had written to Minister for Road Safety Melissa Horne to ask why there had been no change yet. “It's really disappointing that we're still seeing accidents happening in an area that has been highlighted to the government as an area that's not safe by the CFA, the SES, local police and local members of parliament,” Ms Lovell said. “The government need to actually deliver on the promises that they made.” The proposal to change the speed limit was also supported by Strathbogie Shire Council and Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland. “I am devastated that there has been another loss of life before these concerns were taken seriously by the minister, who has now told me the speed reduction has been processed and will be implemented as soon as possible,” Ms Cleeland said. Last week, an 18-year-old Shepparton woman died after crashing on a different section of Euroa-Mansfield Road. Mr Stubbe said changing the speed limit in the Gooram stretch could prevent accidents on other parts of the road, too. “I think one of our problems is the very much increased traffic along this road, because it shows up as the preferred way to travel by Google Maps [and other GPS applications],” he said. “Once we get a speed limit reduction on the top half [of the road], that will reduce.” He said the ute had been heading north when it crashed on Melbourne Cup Day, just like the vehicles in the other crashes he had seen on the dangerous stretch of road. “The majority of these accidents that I’ve been to recently have all been not from our area – they’re not locals, they don’t know the roads,” Mr Stubbe said in August.