Woah That’s Frustrating: Dead gum tree, parking nightmare, alleged copper thefts

From a parking nightmare at a medical clinic to the alleged theft of copper wire that has plunged a busy road into darkness, here’s what’s frustrating residents in Geelong.

Woah That’s Frustrating! Two cars collide in Newcomb outside a medical centre where staff say road visibility is a major issue.

They’re the little – and sometimes not so little – things that can really irk us. We’ve asked the people of Geelong to point out the problems that irritate and exasperate and have us all saying, woah, that’s frustrating! And hopefully by highlighting them we can get them fixed.

Dash from the doc a prescription for trouble

It’s a carpark exit that’s been a smashing success … if you consider smashes and near smashes a success, that is.

A medical centre in Newcomb is calling on council to make leaving the facility’s carpark safer, following at least one accident.

Workers from Banksia Medical Centre have started a pair of petitions, with a combined 150 signatures, that hope to get a no-parking zone extended to make leaving the centre safer.

Assistant practice manager Bella Rothon said the current set up forced employees and patients leaving the centre to poke the front of their car onto the busy road, putting them in danger.

“No one can really see down the highway so they keep nudging and nudging forward,” Ms Rothon said.

“Obviously you’re going into inbound traffic and then all of a sudden the cars are just coming at you.”

Workers from Banksia Medical Centre have started a pair of petitions with a combined 150 signatures that hope to get a no parking zone extended to make leaving the car park safer.

It seems as though council has listened with executive director of city infrastructure James Sirton revealing change is on the way.

”We are extending the ‘no-stopping’ zone to increase visibility from the Banksia Medical Centre along Bellarine Highway, Newcomb,” Mr Sirton said.

“Our City Works team have scheduled the sign relocation work to take place in the coming four-six weeks.” Smashing stuff.

Let there be light, please

A main road in Bell Post Hill has been left in the dark for more than six months after copper wire was reportedly stolen from the street lights.

Resident Faye Hill said the lack of street lighting on Ballarat Rd, from the Anakie to Rollins roads intersections, made the stretch extremely dark and dangerous.

“The lights have been out since before Christmas,” she said.

“From what we’ve been told, they fix it and then the (copper) gets stolen again.”

It is understood multiple residents have complained to VicRoads about the street lighting.

Ms Hill was concerned it could cause an accident if it wasn’t fixed soon.

Copper wire can carry up to 1500 volts and can cause serious injury or death when interfered with.

Authorities are trialling ways to deter copper theft.

A Department of Transport and Planning spokesman said theft and vandalism to transport infrastructure puts lives at risk.

“We thank the local community for their patience while we continue to plan for works to restore the affected street lights,” he said.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Victoria Police.

Trip to the local branch could see you lose a limb

An East Geelong man said he reported a “disaster waiting to happen” along a popular Geelong Road three times before seeing any progress.

Frank Kennedy noticed a large dead gumtree hanging over Portarlington Rd in Newcomb that he estimates is about 10m high.

Mr Kennedy said, with winter setting in, there’s a high chance the tree could fall onto the arterial road.

“With the winter upon us it is not unreasonable to conclude that with the distribution of weight and with wet ground, that this tree will probably fall across the roadway,” Mr Kennedy said

“This is when we see where fatalities unfortunately occur.”

A large dead tree hanging over the Bellarine Highway Moolap. Picture: Alison Wynd

Mr Kennedy said he’d been in contact with VicRoads three times over a four-week period.

“Letters have been acknowledged, and guess what, nothing has been done!”

“Even though tree maintenance work has been carried out on smaller trees in the median strip opposite the dead tree.

“Over to you VicRoads – on behalf of motorists please, don’t think, do something now before a tragedy occurs, roads are bad enough but the above is a disaster waiting to happen.”

VicRoads appear to have heard the concerned residents’ pleas, with the tree getting the chop just last week.

“Our experts carried out an assessment of this tree earlier this week and it was removed on Wednesday,” a Department of Transport and Planning spokesperson said.

Do you want to draw attention to something frustrating in the Geelong region? Email your gripe to [e-mail] or fill in the form below.

Originally published as Woah That’s Frustrating: Dead gum tree, parking nightmare, alleged copper thefts