Updated Council FAQ section and our response
Council have now updated the FAQ section of their Polka dot page.
See here: https://www.yourcityyourvoice.com.au/polka-dot-road-safety-project/widgets/321122/faqs
Find below our selected responses to their updates and why their project continues to fail - even with their apparent evidence base.
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Reminder - Please ensure you take the poll and add your feedback on the council project feedback page here: https://www.yourcityyourvoice.com.au/polka-dot-road-safety-project
AND to share this petition with the local community to keep the advocacy going! KEEP THE PRESSURE ON!
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Find below our selected responses to their updates and why their project continues to fail.
"This is the first time the polka dots have been trialled in Victoria" - Even though they cite the Auckland setting as a case for the installation, the Auckland setting is VERY different.
The Auckland polka dot setting can be found here: https://www.activateakl.work/tui#/shortland-street-stage-one/
For example is no level crossing, one lane right of way, pop up park/lounging settings and obviously does not have the level of density urbanisation streetscape as Yarraville has. This in no means the Auckland setting is acceptable, but rather that the Auckland setting is incomparable and has vastly wider roads, ample pedestrian areas and generally vastly different infrastructure settings. This highlights that the Yarraville village area already had its ongoing complexities and a generic "cookie cutter" approach to retrofit an approach from a very different setting - especially without pubic consultation - simply is heavily flawed. This now explains the near misses of children as reported by parents, being almost run over and also the various issues now surfacing.
The council are treating the children of Yarraville village as an experimental case study - having known about the risks to the lives of toddlers and young children in the process. Citing the Auckland trial (again a very different setting) showing that vehicular speeds only reduced by 5%. Shockingly council are willing to risk the lives of our youngest members in the community to achieve only a 5% speed reduction, when the local community and traders have been pushing over many years for alternative options, options which would deliver more effective road safety outcomes and ensure the road settings are not for playing on.
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Under Consultation they say: "Council spoke with Yarraville traders who were supportive of the trial and also advised neighbours in close proximity to the three sites of the trial in advance of the installation of the treatment.".
The petition has been contacted by these apparent same Yarraville village traders and they have they have explained that this Polka dot option was the very LAST option they were wanting - even wanting raised speed platforms as a potential measure over these dots. Traders have been desperate to especially address hoon drivers in the area for quite some time. This reflects an attempt by council to make it appear that the polka dot installations had general consensus by traders, when in actual fact this is FAR from the case and a rather mischievous public relations attempt at carrying favour.
Local neighbours have also contacted the petition (we have been provided a copy of this very letter) saying that they were letter box dropped only a few weeks before the installation - on the 22nd February 2021, with the letter simply saying the project was going to happen and the letter being a functional informative procedure. Simply advising of impending road closures and serving as a road works notice.
The local community can read this letter via this dropbox link here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/tven9rnsj6d8nbp/160213728_10215648792167660_4520137142131129021_n.jpg?dl=0
This reflects this letter not serving as a form of consultation which could have affected the implementation being put in place at all, but rather information saying that the project was happening and any "consultation" in the letter referring to the post implementation "Your say" project site. Consultation AFTER implementation is unacceptable.
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General response to the updated FAQS.
Mayor Michael Clarke went on all radio, TV and to newspapers attempting to address the child road safety issue by running the council line saying “I actually put that question to the grade sixes at St Margaret’s Primary School in Maribyrnong, and all 41 kids were very clear that they wouldn’t run onto the road just to look at circles".
Council are now attempting to frame the narrative that traders, local neighbours and community were consulted - when in actual fact the reality is very different.
Regardless of your position on the Polka dots, claiming that surveying 41 kids in an almost coercive manner, as being consultation is highly offensive to the reasoning of the local community. More so especially as the parents (who are also the ratepayers, who's money have been used for this installation) of the local area, are now coming forward in waves saying they have been impacted by these installations - by having their young children run right onto the middle of the road, having being allured by the playful colour settings. Even with the best of parenting unable to curb the pull factor of children wanting to play on and run onto the roads.
The petition champions are in close ongoing dialogue with Yarraville stakeholders and the community members - whom have provided collected letters, insights into council communications, their concerns and also other evidences relating to this Polka dot project.
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We would highlight that currently 27 contacts the petition is being sent to - including councillors, council leadership, engineering department, State MPs, Federal MP, community safety organisations, Victorian transport department and more - whom we have had some responses already expressing concern about child welfare relating to these installations.
The media outlets who first afforded this petition state and national coverage are still in close dialogues with the Yarraville community and will be provided updates. The community and media are watching this situation closely - and will continue to hold council accountable.