{"id":18902,"date":"2026-05-26T13:54:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T13:54:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/18902\/"},"modified":"2026-05-26T13:54:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T13:54:12","slug":"residents-in-regional-aussie-town-erupt-at-road-rule-change-unhappy-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/18902\/","title":{"rendered":"Residents in regional Aussie town erupt at road rule change: ‘Unhappy people’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Road signs throughout a regional town<\/a> have been vandalised, in what police believe is an act of protest against reduced speed limits<\/a> on country roads.<\/p>\n

Several speed limit signs near Churchill, Victoria, about a two-hour drive east of Melbourne, have been damaged \u2014 some have been sawn off, while others around the area have been painted over.<\/p>\n

Police believe frustrated locals are behind the act, in protest of permanently reduced speed limits<\/a> throughout the Latrobe Valley, the ABC reported.<\/a><\/p>\n

In April, the speed limits<\/a> on Hazelwood Road and Boldings Road in Hazelwood North were permanently reduced from 100 kilometres per hour to 80km\/h.<\/p>\n

In other parts of the Latrobe Valley, speed limits were reduced from 80 to 60km\/h.<\/p>\n

Do you have a road-related story? Contact newsroomau@yahoonews.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Google<\/p>\n

Speed limits on Hazelwood Road and Boldings Road in Hazelwood North were permanently reduced from 100 to 80km\/h in April.<\/p>\n

(Google maps)Reduced speed limits could make roads safer<\/p>\n

According to the Department of Transport and Planning, the new speed limits \u201cprovide a safer environment for road users\u201d.<\/p>\n

There were 16 crashes recorded along the stretch of Hazelwood Road and Boldings Road between August 2020 and August last year, they said.<\/p>\n

RELATED<\/p>\n

Speaking to Yahoo News last week<\/a>, Australasian College of Road Safety chief executive Dr Ingrid Johnston said she was in full support of speed reductions, particularly on regional roads.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that if you have a head-on collision at any more than about 80 kilometres per hour, chances are that the collision will be fatal<\/a>,\u201d Dr Johnston said<\/p>\n

Resident backlash over reduced speed limits<\/p>\n

Wellington police inspector Melanie Hamshere said police were investigating the vandalism, the ABC reported.<\/p>\n

\"Left:<\/p>\n

Signs across the Latrobe Valley were painted over after speed limits were reduced from 80 to 60km\/h.<\/p>\n

(Google Maps\/ABC)<\/p>\n

She said there are \u201cobviously criminal offences being committed\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t so much think they’re vigilante actions, it’s more people unhappy with the changes to the speed limits on the roads,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Many residents believe the slashed limits are a quick-fix solution to avoid maintaining damaged roads.<\/p>\n

Others say the reduced speed has increased travel times and reduced productivity for regional workers, the ABC reported.<\/p>\n

Martin Cameron, a Member for Morwell, has been vocal about the change to the speed limit, saying, instead, the council should be \u201cfixing the bloody roads\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cHazelwood Road has been littered with ‘rough surface’ signs for nearly a decade, but instead of fixing the road itself, the speed limit is being reduced from 100 km\/h to 80 km\/h,\u201d he said in March before the speed limit changes took place.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s in full support of a petition started by angry residents.<\/p>\n

\"Martin<\/p>\n

Martin Cameron, a Member for Morwell, is against the speed limit changes.<\/p>\n

(Facebook\/Martin Cameron for Morwell)30km\/h speed limits being rolled out across Victoria<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, across Victoria, the Allan government has backed a $28.7 million package to cut speed limits across the state, reducing many busy, local roads to just 30km\/h.<\/a><\/p>\n

The trial will apply to several council areas, including the Stonnington Council, Merri-Bek Council and the Bass Coast Council.<\/p>\n

They have also green-lit a Geelong Council plan to lower speed limits in Portarlington Street as part of Victoria\u2019s Road Safety Strategy.<\/p>\n

The strategy aims to halve road deaths by 2030 and eliminate road deaths by 2050.<\/p>\n

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