Warrnambool City Council unanimously voted on Monday night to keep the status quo with the Lava/Liebig and Koroit/Liebig street crossings to stay despite a petition with 5733 signatures calling for their immediate removal. 

Councillors were presented with five options for the crossings including keeping them as they are, removing them over a period of 12 months, implementing a ‘zig zag’ line marking to highlight them, investigating the installation of flashing signals or implementing full signalisation of the intersections.

Cr Peter Hulin moved the motion to retain the crossings, saying a pedestrian-friendly CBD was a part of the council’s vision for a cosmopolitan city.

“We only need to look at other cities to see it works,” he said.

“We haven’t sold it well enough. The days of traffic lights and the like are gone, especially if you are trying to create a pedestrian shopping precinct.”

He acknowledged the crossings had been difficult for drivers.

“We need to look at parking so people don’t need to go down the main street and make it congested,” he said.

“Is it such a problem for car drivers over the elderly? How many people who signed the petition were elderly, disabled or visually impaired? For God’s sake, what’s wrong with our drivers?”

Cr Sue Cassidy seconded the motion and said she found the petition “very sad” for the elderly and disabled people of Warrnambool.

“I find it hard to believe a petition was started very shortly after completion of the crossings, not even giving the public a chance to get used to them,” she said.

“Now that it’s been about four months since completion I think they are working well. I think it’s sad that these people sit in their warm, dry cars while the elderly and special needs residents, not only of Warrnambool, but our region, and most importantly the visitors to our city, stand in the rain and heat trying to cross our streets.

“The safety of our residents is paramount.”

An addition to the motion by Cr Mike Neoh to create a plan for analysis of pedestrian crossings and how they should be rolled out and to look at the feasibility of signals on roundabouts was voted down, with only Cr Neoh and Kylie Gaston supporting the additions.

After the meeting petition organiser Angie Paspaliaris said she was disappointed with the outcome.

“I would encourage people who don’t agree with it to contact the councillors directly to voice their concerns,” she said.

“It seems to have fallen on deaf ears. Make no mistake, pedestrian safety in the CBD is a major concern for me. But there has to be balance for both motorists and pedestrians – how do most people get to the CBD? With a vehicle I’d imagine. There has to be safety and balance.” 

Cr Tony Herbert was absent from the meeting and was an apology.