FAQs

Latrobe City Council is delivering a series of road safety improvements across the municipality through the Safe Local Roads and Streets Program.

The project aims to reduce the likelihood and severity of crashes while creating safer, more accessible streets for everyone, including pedestrians, prams, cyclists, motorists and people with mobility aids.

Proposed improvements include safer pedestrian crossings at selected locations with increased pedestrian activity and supporting speed limits that are more consistent across the municipality.

Recent crash statistics show an elevated injury rate among vulnerable road users, particularly pedestrians. These improvements are guided by the best-practice Safe System approach to road safety, which recognises that people make mistakes and that roads should be designed to reduce the risk of death or serious injury if an accident occurs.

These treatments are designed to reduce vehicle speeds to safe levels for pedestrians at key crossing locations to both reduce the likelihood of a crash and reduce the severity if it does occur. This creates safer town centres and community spaces for all road users.

Different locations require different treatments depending on the surrounding environment and road safety risks.

Proposed treatments across the program include:

• Wombat crossings – zebra crossing on top of a wide speed hump
• Baby Wombat crossings – zebra crossing next to a speed hump

As part of these treatments there will also be supporting works including:

• Speed limit changes to match CBD (40 km/h) or built-up areas (50 km/h) zones
• New or upgraded line marking and signage 
• Street lighting upgrades 
• Minor drainage improvements 

Sites were prioritised using a range of factors including:

• Road safety risk 
• Crash history 
• Pedestrian activity 
• Nearby schools, shops and community facilities 
• Traffic volumes and road function 
• Opportunities to apply consistent speed management treatments 
• Previous requests and feedback from the community 

Projects were then selected based on available funding and deliverability.

Safe System is Australia's nationally adopted approach to road safety.

It recognises that:

• People make mistakes 
• Human bodies have limits to the forces they can withstand 
• Roads, vehicles and speeds should work together to reduce serious injury and fatalities 

Victoria's road safety programs are guided by these principles.

Lower speed limits improve safety by reducing both the likelihood of crashes and the severity of injuries. Even small reductions in vehicle speed can significantly improve outcomes for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.  

The speeds selected at these sites are either to bring the existing CBD 40 km/h speed zones into small towns where there are shops and parks on each side of the street or 50 km/h has been used from the built-up default speed limit, at key locations where there are shops or other points of interest.

Some locations may experience minor changes to on-street parking or vehicle movements to improve visibility and safety.

Council will work with affected businesses and property owners during detailed design to minimise impacts wherever possible.

Following community consultation:

• Designs will be finalised 
• A construction schedule will be developed 

Final designs and timelines will be published on the website although we are aiming to have some of the sites completed in 2026 with all being delivered by 30 June, 2027.

The Safe Local Roads and Streets Program is funded by the Victorian Government through the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and delivered by Latrobe City Council.

A Wombat Crossing is a raised pedestrian crossing that combines a zebra crossing with a wide speed hump platform. The wide speed hump encourages drivers to slow down while making pedestrians more visible by raising them up and providing additional lighting.

There a several examples of these around the municipality including recent works on Monash Road, Newborough and Grey Street, Traralgon between Franklin Street and the Wright Street roundabouts

Some locations can’t fit a full-sized Wombat crossing so a Baby Wombat is proposed.  It combines a speed hump next to a zebra crossing to provide a similar effect.  This combination of a speed hump and a zebra crossing is used on Seymour Street, Traralgon between Church and Franklin Street.

These are smaller traffic calming devices and are being proposed around roundabouts to give pedestrian priority to cross and reduce vehicle speeds at those crossing points. 

In these locations, a small increase in vehicle travel time can deliver significant benefits in safety, accessibility, economic activity and community amenity. The aim is not to stop traffic movement, but to better balance the needs of all users so that these spaces functions as both a transport corridor and a place for people.

Road safety improvements are proposed across:

• Boolarra 
• Glengarry 
• Moe 
• Morwell 
• Newborough 
• Traralgon 
• Yallourn North 
• Yinnar 

Concept plans for each location are available on the project page. 

No. The plans currently available are concept designs.

Community feedback, engineering investigations and further technical assessments may result in changes before designs are finalised.

The speed of a vehicle has a significant influence on the likelihood of a pedestrian surviving a collision.

International research shows the link between vehicle speed and pedestrian survivability in an accident:

This is why lower speed limits are often introduced in areas with higher pedestrian activity.

No. Speed reductions are based on improving road safety and reducing crash severity. They are not introduced because of the condition of the road surface.

If you would like to report potholes, road maintenance issues or other defects, please contact Latrobe City Council on 1300 367 700 or lodge a request through Snap Send Solve https://www.latrobe.vic.gov.au/Snap_Send_Solve 

Yes. Raised crossings, traffic calming devices and lower speed environments are used extensively throughout Victoria and Australia.

These treatments are proven to reduce vehicle speeds and improve road safety.

Following community consultation Council will:

1. Review community feedback
2. Finalise the designs
3. Complete detailed engineering
4. Prepare construction documentation 
5. Commence construction 

Council aims to begin delivering some sites during 2026, with the overall program expected to be completed by 30 June 2027, subject to approvals and funding.

Temporary impacts may occur during construction, including:

• Traffic management 
• Reduced speed limits 
• Temporary lane closures 
• Short-term parking restrictions 
• Temporary changes to property access 

Affected residents and businesses will be notified before construction begins.

Road safety improvements are intended to prevent serious crashes before they occur.

Evidence consistently shows that safer road designs reduce the risk of people being killed or seriously injured.

This project is about creating safer streets for everyone now and into the future.

Community feedback is encouraged and can be provided by:

• Completing the online Have Your Say form
• Emailing Engineering Administration engineeringservices@latrobe.vic.gov.au  
• Attending a community information session (where scheduled, upcoming dates will be shown on the top-right corner of the SLRSP project webpage) 
• In writing to Engineering Administration, PO Box 264, Morwell, VIC 3840 no later than 31 August, 2026. 

The consultation period will be open from Monday 10  August 2026 to Monday 31 August 2026.

Following the formal consultation period, updated project information and refined designs will continue to be published on this webpage and other Latrobe City Council communication channels as the project progresses. Community members are encouraged to stay informed and may continue to provide comments or enquiries, which will be considered where practicable prior to construction.

Yes. All submissions received during the consultation period will be reviewed and considered.

Community feedback will help inform the final design alongside engineering standards, road safety requirements and available funding.

Engineering Administration

engineeringservices@latrobe.vic.gov.au