CONCERNED parents at Moorooduc Primary School are calling for urgent traffic safety upgrades, saying overlapping roadworks and poor planning have created dangerous conditions for children and families during school drop-off and pick-up times.
Multiple sets of roadworks have been approved in the area surrounding the school, leading to an inflow of traffic onto Mornington-Tyabb Rd and Derril Rd, the main access point to the primary school.
Concerned parent and petition organiser Cassandra Anastasia said the situation has become increasingly dangerous, with hundreds of cars funnelling through the 40km/h school zone.
“Drivers are frustrated, speeding, and aggressive,” Anastasia said.
“We’ve had accidents, near misses, parents and children being abused, and police having to be called in to patrol daily.”
Parents have called for immediate safety measures, including portable traffic lights, clearer signage, a temporary supervised crossing, and a review into how multiple roadworks were approved simultaneously.
A petition with over 280 signatures has also urged the Mornington Peninsula Shire to take action and consider long-term solutions, such as a roundabout, flashing school-zone lights, and a review of parking fines issued to parents.
“We don’t want to wait until a child or family from our community is injured or worse before something happens,” Anastasia said. “This isn’t about politics, or finger pointing — it’s about safety and common sense.”
A shire spokesperson said while the safety of the community remains a priority, many of the affected roads are managed by state government rather than council.
“The upgrades being carried out are on state-owned roads and under the control of the Department of Transport and Planning and as such do not come to council for approval,” the spokesperson said.
“The health and safety of our community is our priority, and this is the reason we ensured the 40km/hr school zone is in place on the council operated Derril Road.”
Anastasia said she understands there could be “some communication breakdowns between state and a local level, but somebody can’t just sit there and say, well, it’s too hard”.
Member for Mornington Chris Crewther has urged the state government to take action to address the dangerous traffic conditions around the school after concerned parents reached out to him.
Crewther spoke in state parliament on 30 October, urging the Roads and Road Safety Minister, Melissa Horne, to take immediate action, saying the current arrangements have caused “significant and unnecessary hardship”.
“While these works may be necessary upgrades, the duration and management of the closure has created unsafe and unreasonable conditions, particularly around Moorooduc Primary School,” he told parliament.
“Residents have reported delays of 30 to 45 minutes or more on major southbound roads… there have been increased accidents and near misses, particularly around detour merge points, intersections, the primary school and more.”
Crewther said planning and traffic consequences should have been better considered.
“There seems to be no logic in running overlapping works on these roads at the same time as Peninsula Link upgrades, especially during peak school drop-off and pick-up times,” Crewther said.
To help relieve congestion and improve safety, Crewther has advocated for traffic management or temporary lights to be put in by the state government along Mornington-Tyabb Rd at the Derril Rd intersection.
Crewther said the situation reflects a broader issue of communication between state and local governments on road projects and traffic management. “There is definitely need for improvement to the whole system,” he said.
Crewther urged the minister and her department to consider how they plan and coordinate roadworks in the future. “Mornington Peninsula residents do deserve better planning going forward,” he said.
The Department of Transport and Planning said the works on Peninsula Link were planned to avoid causing disruption during peak summer periods.
“We thank the community for their patience while these important works take place, to improve safety and reliability for those travelling on the Peninsula Link,” a spokesperson said.
“Everybody has a role to play in ensuring our roads are safe – drivers should always remain vigilant behind the wheel, drive to conditions, obey all signage on our roadsides and follow approved detour routes.”
The Roads and Road Safety Minister is expected to make a response within 30 days following Crewther’s speech in parliament. In the meantime, parents at Moorooduc Primary School continue to call for immediate measures to improve safety around the school.
First published in the Mornington News – 4 November 2025
