Mount Evelyn
Tuesday, 16 April, 2024
Remembering Eric Dosser, long-serving RSL president
Donations needed for Caladenia kitchen
The beauty of science on display
See Real Estate liftout inside
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A Star News Group Publication
PR OP ER TY
Phone: 5957 3700 Trades and Classifieds: 1300 666 808
Primary school joy over prospect of
Traffic solution By Mikayla van Loon
Tom, 10, had the best birthday surprise on Saturday 13 April getting to enjoy a ride in his favourite truck. Picture: MIKAYLA VAN LOON
Tom’s truckie surprise For now 10-year-old Tom, getting a truckie surprise for his birthday made not only his day but his year. Having been diagnosed with leukaemia in October, Tom and his family have been living between their home town of Sale and Lilydale, while Tom underwent 10 weeks of intensive treatment.
So when it was time for Tom to turn 10 on Saturday 13 April, what better way to celebrate than with some of his favourite trucks turning up to Lillydale Lake. As a truck enthusiast, the grin on Tom’s face could not be removed. To read more about Tom’s story, turn to page 9
A proposed solution to Birmingham Road’s safety concerns has been aired, 18 months after a petition was submitted by a concerned parent and resident. Discussing the item at the Yarra Ranges council meeting on Tuesday 9 April, councillors accepted a traffic management proposal, including a bid for grant money to install a signalised intersection. In October 2022, Star Mail spoke with lead petitioner Bosa Sofranic-Carter who was calling on the council to improve traffic flow and safety outside Birmingham Primary School in Mount Evelyn. Receiving close to 90 signatures, Ms Sofranic-Carter said the intersection at Francis Crescent had not kept up with the growth of the suburb or the population of the school community. “The area has grown, there’s a bigger population than when that road first became a road and it just needs an upgrade to catch up with the safety that’s required now that there are more people living in the area and using that intersection,” she said at the time. “There are cars going in so many directions that it’s just a matter of time before, unfortunately, a tragedy happens at that intersection. It is a mismanaged intersection that needs some sort of a solution.” Birmingham Primary School principal of 20 years, Trish Enzinger, supported the plans stating “this has been an ongoing problem” and confirmed the increases in student and parent numbers. “The student population when I first came there was 550. It’s now reaching 700. We have one exit from the school which is at the front of the school,” she said. “The traffic is horrendous. It backs up Francis Crescent and Swansea Road and something
The current school crossing would move further down with traffic lights installed to keep pedestrians and cars safe. 302905 really does need to be done about that.” The council’s proposal puts forward a pitch to upgrade the intersection with traffic lights, costing around $500,000 and $20,000 annually for maintenance. Radar speed display signs and zig zag line marking have also been commissioned as part of the traffic team’s safety improvements in the more immediate future. Grateful for the additional safety measures around the pedestrian crossing, Ms SofranicCarter said she was still unsure why it took so long for these measures to be undertaken. “Our neighbouring schools namely Mount Evelyn Primary and Montrose Primary School have had radar signs for some time which begs the question why Birmingham Primary School, the largest school in the area, does not already have this road safety feature,” she said at the meeting on Tuesday. “Why the students of Birmingham Primary School have not been afforded the same safety considerations as students in neighbouring schools up until now.” Continued page 4
12682848-FR16-24