To the Mayor and Councillors of the Rural City of Wangaratta Victoria 3677

As residents and motorists who daily use the Rowan Street, Phillipson St roundabout. We (the petitioners) are horrified with the gridlocking implications to the traffic flow through the roundabout, if the newly built Childcare Centre is allowed to open.

We see the Rowan Street, Phillipson St roundabout, as one of the most, busiest traffic intersections in Wangaratta. Where presently the traffic flows, smoothly and quickly. To keep the traffic flowing freely in this roundabout is of the utmost importance.

Note: 7/2/2025. The more I observe it the worse the situation becomes.

There appears to be limited staff parking. Client drop-off appears to be only drive-through. And there is limited parking in either Rowan and Phillipson Sts, but I feel it would be extremely dangerous to try to disembark toddlers in the street before taking them into the Childcare Centre. In Phillipson St  the bike lanes, narrow the roadway down considerably and compound the congestion.

The only pedestrian access is via the footpaths through the extremely fast and busy Roundabout, which is very unsafe.

The Rowan St exit from the Childcare Centre, appears to be only approximately 30m from the Roundabout. A vehicle exiting should only be able to turn left, into Rowan St which is dangerous enough. To attempt to turn right (would be asking to be T-boned) and extremely dangerous.

The risk of a vehicle exiting the Roundabout into Rowan St and crashing into a vehicle exiting the Childcare Centre is very high. As leaving the roundabout and reaching the exit is only a matter of seconds and there is no way the driver can stop before being well past the Childcare Centre exit..

Then in relation to the entrance into the  Childcare Centre in Phillipson (which is approximately 40m) North of the Roundabout. Directly across the road on the West side of Phillipson St is the entrance of Taylor St. Which has vehicles, trying to turn right into the Roundabout, adding to the congestion. At the same time any staff or clients of the  Childcare Centre, traveling through the Roundabout have to attempt to do a right hand turn against, oncoming traffic (which a lot of times is School Buses), which will back traffic, back into the Roundabout.

Please sign this petition to ensure the Childcare Centre does not open and traffic gridlocking is not allowed to occur.

Our reasons why we feel the permit should be withdrawn and the newly built Childcare Centre not be allowed to open are:

1.     A Childcare Centre in this position is not the quiet area, that is required for children attending a Childcare Centre. 

2. As there have been no school/childcare crossings installed. One in Rowan St, East of the roundabout and one in Phillipson St, North of the roundabout,

Neither have 40km, speed restrictions been placed on sections of Rowan and Phillipson Streets.

I believe the safety requirements for roads outside a Childcare Centre have not been met and the Childcare Centre should not be able to open?

Note: I have made an error here, as I now believe that it is only a requirement to have the School crossings and 40km/hr speed limit if it was a School.

However as both Rowan and Phillipson  Streets have 60km/hr speed limits, I don't believe it was a sensible decision to grant a permit to build a Childcare Centre in this location, without the requirements for School crossings and 40km/hr speed limits.

3. The entrance in Phillipson St (North of the roundabout) for cars entering the Childcare Centre, is in a dangerous position and will make a choke point for the busy traffic, travelling South in Phillipson St. (At peak times at present, cars back up for hundreds of metres).

3.     The exit in Rowan St (East of the roundabout) for cars exiting the Childcare Centre, (being only 30 to 40 metres from the roundabout) will be extremely dangerous for cars exiting the roundabout East into Rowan St. Creating a choke point in Rowan St, causing great danger for cars exiting the roundabout, into Rowan St, forcing them to back up into and even block the roundabout.

We call on the Council, to stop this problem from occurring by revoking the permit for the the Childcare Centre and stopping it from opening. The Council paying for whatever are the consequences. 

We see short term economic pain as far better, than gridlocking the roundabout, for ever. Commonsense leading to the close the Childcare Centre would have happened eventually.

Please sign this petition to ensure the Childcare Centre does not open. And share it via Facebook, X, WhatsApp or other social media.