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The president of another RSL club that marched along the Northern Highway on Anzac Day – the same road on which Elmore commemorators were almost toppled by oncoming traffic – has said it is each club's duty to organise their own traffic management.
But the organiser of the Elmore event has maintained his claim the event was let down by police and traffic authorities.
A car travelling on the Northern Highway in Elmore yesterday morning narrowly avoided skittling flagbearers leading a parade to the town’s memorial hall.
John Glover, the RSL president in nearby Rochester and whose club also hosted a Northern Highway march, said his organisation got permits from both VicRoads and the Campaspe shire council to use the stretch of road.
Police also attended the march, while CFA crews blocked traffic at its rear.
A traffic management plan was put together for the event, Mr Glover said.
While he described the permit application process as an arduous one, Mr Glover believed it was worthwhile to assure the safe passage of march participants.
He was the senior marshall on duty at the Melbourne Anzac Day march in 2010 when a truck ploughed into veterans and said he was aware of the danger vehicles posed to participants.
Responsibility for his marchers' safety rested with the RSL and it was fortunate no one was hurt in Elmore, he said.
But Elmore RSL president Jeff Crust said it was the car’s driver and traffic authorities that were to blame for yesterday's close call.
The man maintained he contacted police, VicRoads and the City of Greater Bendigo about the Elmore event and believed his town was forgotten by council and roads authorities because of its regional location.
“It’s certainly stirred people,” Mr Crust said.
He said speeding traffic on the highway remained a problem even after a 50-kilometre speed limit was installed.
Mr Crust said he would seek police, council and VicRoads assistance again in 2018 before “[taking] matters into [his] own hands” and parking vehicles across the highway to stop oncoming traffic.
The council and police have both said their assistance at the event was not confirmed.
VicRoads regional director Mal Kersting did not say if his agency was contacted by the Elmore RSL, but recommended traffic management plans be put in place for Anzac events on its roads.
”We appreciate the importance of events such as those marking ANZAC day, and working with RSLs for these events,” Mr Kersting said.
“While the application process for RSLs is relatively simple, our officers are also more than happy to assist RSLs if they require it.”
Campaspe police Inspector Geoff Owen said his officers would investigate whether the driver committed an offence but also explained it was organisers’ responsibility to organise traffic management.
Footage of the incident shot by the Bendigo Advertiser was circulated widely on Tuesday.
The video divided opinion among readers, some of whom believed drivers should have slowed in expectation of commemorative events.
“It’s an Anzac Day march in a small country town. Drivers can see the potential hazards and should have adjusted accordingly,” Facebook user Bev Jaques contended.
Another reader, Mel Van Osta, disagreed and said they marchers were jaywalking.
“They knew they were doing the service, they should have gotten traffic control.”