Problem exposed

By Ed Merrison
PEOPLE in Belgrave are wondering why the council has left them high and dry in wet conditions.
The Shire of Yarra Ranges has removed a free-standing shelter originally installed to keep pedestrians from getting wet as they waited to cross the main street.
Members of the Belgrave Traders Association (BTA) have distributed a petition calling for the shelter – or a model in keeping with the township’s new look – to be brought back.
Andrew Rayment, former BTA president, said its removal was bad news for the elderly and people with mobility problems. People now have to make their way up steps to escape the rain after pressing the button for the pedestrian lights near the roundabout.
Mr Rayment said BTA spent five years lobbying for the shelter only to see it disappear after three years fulfilling its purpose.
“It was put in at the request of the traders so people were not standing in the elements in extreme weather conditions waiting to cross the road,” he said.
James Martin, shire community relations manager, said the shelter had been removed as part of revitalisation works underway in Belgrave.
“A major reason the shelter has been taken away is due to its impact on sightlines along the main road and in particular to improve the visibility of pedestrians for motorists driving through the town,” he said.
Mr Martin said alterations to the footpath near the lights also made it easier for pedestrians to retreat undercover, but said the shire would be happy to consider the traders’ petition.
Mr Rayment said the council’s streetscape work had improved the town aesthetically, but said the need for the shelter had not gone away.
“We thought it was not good enough to rip something out that was there for a purpose,” he said.