Last Tuesday councillors voted in favour of conducting a review of the speed limit along Pearsons Road in Trentham East, paying particular attention to the stretch of road near James Lane.

The speed limit is currently 100km/h, however several concerned community members are calling on this to be dropped to 80km/h. 

Council also agreed to write to VicRoads requesting the speed limit along Chanters Lane, which joins onto Pearsons Road, be dropped from 100km/h to 80 km/h.  

Councillors Don Henderson, John Cottrell and mayor Sebastian Klein all spoke in support of the motion at the meeting in Clunes.  

Cr Cottrell said “with some of the road conditions we have these speed limits don't meet the safety requirements of the community”.

Three fatalities have been registered along Chanters Lane and Pearsons Road in the past 15 years, the most recent occurring in September last year when a four-wheel drive rolled and crashed into a tree.

The roads in question run along the boarder of the Hepburn and Macedon Ranges Shires. In March this year a group of vocal Trentham residents met with Cr Klein and Macedon Ranges mayor Jennifer Anderson to express their concerns about the roads. 

Trentham resident Susie Spence, whose husband died on the road 15 years ago, said the changes to Chanters Lane were greatly overdue.

“The Chanters Lane part is absolutely imperative, it’s such a dangerous road and the edges are very poor.”

Speaking to The Advocate in March, VicRoads acting planning manager Brad Pryor said “we encourage the local community to work with Hepburn Shire Council in submitting a request and would look favourably upon a proposal to reduce the speed limit on these roads”.