Southgate Avenue to get new crossing

The City of Melbourne says work to fix a local pedestrian crossing that is unsafe for people with mobility issues will start within months and further streetscape upgrades may be on the horizon.

Southgate Avenue is set to see the redevelopment of a dangerous pedestrian crossing and may also undergo other improvements, according to the council.

Lord Mayor Nick Reece relayed the news in response to a question from Soutbank3006 committee member Chris Trueman at a Future of Melbourne Committee meeting on February 17.

Mr Trueman, who had asked the council to investigate the installation of a raised, wombat-style crossing on Southgate Ave behind Hamer Hall, said the current crossing, which is next to a speed hump, dropped into a steep gutter channel and rose sharply to the footpath, which had “a significant cross-slope”.

“For wheelchair users, mobility scooters, prams and the elderly, this creates a risk of tipping or losing control,” he said.

A wombat-style crossing combined with a reduction in the speed limit to 30km/h would make the crossing much safter for all and especially for those who were less mobile, he said.

Mr Trueman’s “follow-on” request was that the council work with his community organisation and nearby residents to develop a masterplan for Southgate Avenue that would address sloping pavements and upgrade the streetscape “to complement works being done at [nearby Arts Precinct garden] Laak Boorndap”.

Cr Reece told Mr Trueman the council agreed that the work was a priority. “We agree. Southgate Ave is not up to scratch,” he said.

Work on the crossing, which would include the upgrade of the footpath crossfalls, would be starting in the next financial year, he said.

The Lord Mayor noted, however, that a development at the end of the street was influencing the project’s timing and development.

As part of the project, public consultation would occur that would determine its scope, Cr Reece added, seemingly leaving the door open to further upgrades. •