Lights: Survey Results

19 February 2009

Council must reverse its decision and give Coldstream their traffic lights

Liberal Member for Evelyn Christine Fyffe has been overwhelmed by an influx of letters supporting her stance to have council reverse its decision to retain a single tree at Coldstream where traffic lights were scheduled to be constructed in July 2008.

Mrs Fyffe has had 207 Coldstream residents send letters to her office requesting that council reverse its decision to retain the tree at the intersection of the Melba and Maroondah Highways.

The letters will be delivered by Mrs Fyffe to council at the first opportunity.

“This sends a strong statement to the councillors of the Shire of Yarra Ranges which they must heed. The residents are fed up with the delays and want a common sense approach to planning which recognises that human safety is a higher priority than the preservation of a single, replaceable tree,” Mrs Fyffe said.

Some of the statements made by Coldstream residents in relation to this issue include:

- “As a Coldstream resident a CFA volunteer and a regular user of both the Melba and Maroondah Highways I know from experience how invaluable the traffic lights at the intersection would be”

- “If there is a decision to be made between the safety of motorists and the retention of this tree there is no decision to be made”

- “If the traffic lights can’t be done at the intersection of the Melba and Maroondah Highways it should be moved to Killara Road”

- “Safety should come first!”

- “Save this one tree, and in time lose many trees somewhere else to make coffins”

- “Residents deserve to be treated better, the volume of traffic on all our roads is increasing every year and still we wait for common sense to prevail”

“Some members of the community suggested that a roundabout would be reasonable alternative. However, I am advised this will not be functional,” Mrs Fyffe said.

“Coldstream residents don’t want council wasting any more time on a project that should have been straight forward. The process of VicRoads having to revise their plans to accommodate this one tree will further postpone construction, and result in a less satisfactory model which won’t solve the problems the traffic lights were supposed to,” Mrs Fyffe said.

Media: Ruth Barendse 9735 3208