Question
Return to results
Question Status:  Answered
Session: 59 Parliament First Session Sitting: 2020 House: LA
QP Reference No: 0 Question Number: 4647


Asked By: Read Tim Party: Greens Addressed To: Roads and Road Safety
Asked Date: Oct 27, 2020


Question Preview:
4647


CONSTITUENCY QUESTION — Dr Read to ask the Minister for Roads and Road Safety —

My constituency question is to the Minister for Roads and Road Safety. You have recently announced assistance for local councils to identify road space to enable social distancing and outdoor dining to help hospitality venues to reopen safely, but what you have not yet made clear, which is vital for my constituency, is whether you will do anything similar on the arterial roads that the state government, not the councils, operates. Sydney Road in Brunswick and Coburg is the longest retail shopping strip in the Southern Hemisphere. It is packed with restaurants, cafes and bars. The government's Department of Transport, not the Moreland council, controls what happens on that road. Without the Victorian government providing some open space, many of these venues will struggle to reopen. So will the government make some car-parking spaces eligible outside venues on Sydney Road for outdoor dining conversions?
Answer:

The Andrews Government understands the need to support the Victorian economy as we follow the roadmap for reopening and into a COVID normal.

 

One initiative is the Department of Transport assisting Councils as they work with hospitality venues wishing to expand their dining areas outdoors, operating within the health restrictions advised by the Victorian Government. This may include extending trading onto footpaths, laneways, carparks, on‐street car parking spaces, and roads, allowing customers to dine or await the purchase of consumable goods safely and in line with required physical distancing restrictions.

 

DoT is responsible for the co‐ordination and operation of the declared (arterial) road network and must give approval for temporary outdoor dining to occur on these roads. DoT also has some responsibilities to issue authorisations to Council regarding local roads. These responsibilities are prescribed in the Road Management Act 2004, the Road Safety Act 1986 and the Regulations made under these Acts.

 

As I am sure you will appreciate, managing the movement of all travel modes along roads like Sydney Road can be very complex. As of 12 November 2020, Moreland City Council has not submitted a formal application, including plans for traffic management, for an Outdoor Dining permit on Sydney Road. DoT will continue to work with all Councils for any roads being considered under this program and to ensure Road Safety is maintained.

 

 

 

The Hon Ben Carroll MP

Minister for Public Transport

Minister for Roads and Road Safety

 
Attachments:
Answer Published Date:
23/11/2020