COMMUNITY events that use public roads in the Gannawarra Shire are at risk of having to find alternatives after rule changes to traffic management.
The Victorian Government recently adopted national standards, which required event organisers to put a physical barrier in conjunction with a road closed sign.
Traffic controllers would need to be stationed at every road closure if risk assessments weren’t satisfactory.
Cohuna’s Bridge to Bridge fundraiser was abruptly cancelled just days out from the March 2 event because of these costly changes.
Organisers said VicRoads’ rules had caused a significant rise in the cost of hiring a traffic management outfit leaving no options to cancel the event.
Event director Steven Fehring said it was disappointing to have to cancel Bridge to Bridge with little notice.
“We got a call on Tuesday lunchtime where we were informed, we would have to change our plans,” he said.
“We made the difficult decision to cancel the event as we couldn’t acquire a private traffic management company.
“About 100 residents did turn up to the park on the day the event was scheduled despite the cancellation.
“We were having to give out plenty of refunds but did see lots of people continue to make donations to the hospital.
“While we may not have a Bridge to Bridge event in the future, we will see how we can alter it going forward.”
Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said the government had “unleashed a bureaucratic blitz” which would “destroy” community events.
The Bridge to Bridge event, comprising fun runs and rides along Island Road with money raised donated to the local hospital, would have seen its traffic management costs jump from $2000 in 2024 to $22,000 this year.
Mr Walsh said last year’s Bridge to Bridge was run “trouble free and successfully” with two traffic controllers – this year to run the same event it was told it must pay for 13, or not get a permit.
GAME, the company which has the government green light to manage road closures and stop-and-go workers, dropped the bombshell within a week of the event starting.
“Where a road closed sign is used, it must be used in conjunction with a physical barrier, in this case water barrier,” a GAME spokesperson told Mr Walsh.
“Through our internal risk assessment, the proposed methods of unmanned road closures were insufficient to address the risk to race participants, hence the requirement to have a traffic controller stationed at each closed road.”
Mr Walsh said it was one thing to have national standards for major work projects and road closures, “but that has virtually no connection with small community events vital to support life in little country towns”.
“What a joke, and organisers were left with no choice but to cancel,” he said.
“They are talking about manning every little dirt road in the neighbourhood.
“The impact of this stupid, stupid decision … will keep spreading.
“And there’s no way the government will be planning to compensate all the little local fun runs, toy runs, triathlons and similar which will never come within coo-ee of covering the costs now demanded.
“Next thing you know, football and netball clubs won’t be able to do training runs around the neighbourhood without a very expensive stop-and-go attendant in hi-vis colour on every street they run across.”
Roads and Road Safety Minister Melissa Horne was contacted for comment.
