A MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire proposal to install road safety barriers along a stretch of road in Main Ridge has triggered a strong resident push back, with calls for clearer data and proper consultation.
The shire has identified a section of Main Creek Rd between Old Main Creek Rd and Macpherson Lane as a dangerous site for motorcyclists due to roadside hazards including unprotected curves and poor signage.
It is therefore seeking funding from the state government’s Motorcycle Safety Levy Program to go ahead with the roadside barrier project, which is estimated to be between $500,000 and $600,000.
However, residents are concerned the barriers would be unnecessary, unsupported by evidence, environmentally harmful, and impact the natural landscape.
A meeting at the Main Ridge CFA fire brigade on 24 November, attended by residents, highlighted dissatisfaction with the proposal.
Of the 23 residents who attended, only five reported having received the shire’s initial letter advising of the proposal.
Peter Hercules, a committee member of the residents’ group working to advance objections, said there were concerns the project was being rushed without proper consultation or transparency.
He also noted that in nearly 40 years there had been one motorcycle accident on Main Creek Rd in 2018 which was “not a sufficient or convincing statistical basis for major infrastructure works”.
“Rather than barriers, if council wishes to ignore the statistics and do works on Main Creek Rd, it should consider more proportionate measures such as installing motorcycle blackspot warning signs at each end of Main Creek Rd and/or at each end of the subject road section,” he said.
Hercules said residents had proposed alternatives that they say would be cheaper and more effective, including warning signs, reduced speed limits near Splitters Creek, funding genuine blackspots such as the White Hill Rd and Arthurs Seat Rd intersection, and repairing potholes.
The concerns come on the back of residents strongly objecting to similar roadside barriers being proposed for Arthurs Seat Rd in Red Hill, which would also be funded by the motorcycle levy program.
As reported by The News in February, residents say the barriers would be unjustified and a “visual pollution” on the green wedge landscape and the unique character of Red Hill (More roadside barriers in hinterland concerns residents, The News 26/02/25).
Hercules said the council had cited a Department of Transport report claiming 8000 motorcycles used Main Creek Rd each year, but residents say those figures were inflated and the report had not been produced despite requests.
He said further objections include the impact on cyclists and horse riders on what is a narrow, seven-metre-wide road, the increased risk to wildlife such as kangaroos along the Splitters Creek corridor, and the visual intrusion of barriers within a protected green-wedge landscape.
A shire spokesperson said, “We have proposed Main Creek Rd as one of ten locations for motorcycle safety upgrades to help reduce the risk of serious injury or death”.
“We are currently asking our community for their views before deciding whether to proceed with it. All projects would be funded by the State Government under the Motorcycle Levy Program,” the spokesperson said.
Councillor David Gill, who attended the community meeting, opted not to reveal his personal view on the plan at this stage until he considered all feedback “in what’s best” for the community and road safety.
“It’s always a difficult decision when there’s matters of road safety and village character and ambience of an area, especially areas on the peninsula that have beautiful roads and villages but also have roads that are not up to scratch,” he said.
First published in the Mornington News – 2 December 2025
