The Hepburn Shire Council has installed large boulders outside a Daylesford hotel where five people were killed when a car drove through an outdoor dining area in November.
Key points:
- Five people died as a result of the crash at The Royal Daylesford Hotel on November 5, 2023
- A 66-year-old man drove a car through the grass area at the end of Albert Street, where diners were sitting
- The Hepburn Shire Council says the boulders are an interim safety measure
The council said the boulders were an "interim measure" in response to discussions with the community and in collaboration with the Royal Daylesford Hotel.
It installed the boulders on Albert Street, approaching the intersection with the Midland Highway, where the car veered off the road on November 5.
Five people died as a result of the crash, including Vivek Bhatia, 38, and his 11-year-old son Vihaan, along with Pratibha Sharma, 44, her husband Jatin Kumar, 30, and her nine-year-old daughter Anvi.
Mount Macedon man William Swale, 66, has been charged with five counts of culpable driving causing death, two counts of negligently causing serious injury and seven counts of reckless conduct endangering life.
Police have alleged William Swale ignored several warnings on his diabetes monitor that his blood glucose levels were low in the hour before the crash, when his SUV veered off the road and through the outdoor dining area.
There were no bollards or protective measures in place between the road and the hotel's outdoor dining area leading up to the crash.
Some members of the Daylesford community criticised the lack of protection at the site and have raised concerns about the safety of outdoor dining more generally in the town.
Council staff installed the large boulders early on Friday morning.
"This interim measure will be in place while we cooperate with authorities and await the conclusion of investigations that will determine whether other works are required at this site," a Hepburn Shire Council statement said.
Hepburn Shire Council has previously said it would review its outdoor dining policy following the tragedy.
Residents still shaken by tragedy
Daylesford local Anthony Francis said the boulders made him feel a lot safer about dining outside at the hotel.
"It makes us all a lot happier to be able to sit out on the grass now with safety," he said.
"I think the community are rallying around each other quite famously.
"Obviously it was an accident coming down the road, but hopefully, thankfully, [it] will never happen again."
Hepburn Shire Council Mayor Brian Hood said residents were still coming to terms with the tragedy, and tourism to the area was down.
"The community is still shaken by such a massive, tragic event," he said.
"Quite understandably this event is going to have an effect on the community psyche for some time."
Cr Hood said the boulders were there temporarily, but the council would be considering a more permanent solution after consultation with residents.
"Council's been doing a number of reviews itself, and of course the police and the coroner would be doing their external reviews as well. We've also listened to community feedback," he said.
He said the council would carefully consider any recommendations that came from the coroner before implementing any permanent changes.