Progress has been made on Surf Coast Shire’s roads with council continuing to address ongoing challenges to improve safety, according to a recent report.
Surf Coast Shire Council received the year two progress report on the Road Safety Strategy and Action Plan 2022-2027, which identified challenges and ways to improve road safety across the shire.
The five-year strategy and plan were adopted by council in November 2022, which set ambitious targets to reduce fatalities by 50 per cent and serious injuries by 30 per cent on Surf Coast roads by 2030.
Councillor Joel Grist said the targets addressed challenges like rapid population growth and high numbers of international tourists.
“As the population grows and traffic increases, it’s encouraging to see safer walking and cycling routes being delivered,” he said.
“Our goal is ambitious, but it needs to be, and it takes a consistent effort to reach these targets, but it’s a target we can achieve together.
“One death on our roads is one death too many… and these upgrades are making a real difference in helping people move safely, no matter how they travel.”
Key actions identified in the year two report delivered in 2024/2025 included new cycling infrastructure on Torquay’s The Esplanade and Fischer Street, along with pedestrian crossings installed in Anglesea and Bellbrae.
Council officers will also prepare applications for grant funding through the 2026/2027 Federal Black Spot Program for upgrades to priority roads, including Horseshoe Bend Road and Cape Otway Road.
