The underpass over the Goulburn Valley Hwy was proposed following a 2018 crash that injured a student and nearly missed several more students and a lollipop man.
Kialla West school council president Jamie Gilbert said he felt like the underpass was no closer to being built four years on from the first meetings.
“It’s going to be an absolute tragedy and highly embarrassing for the state government if there’s another serious accident or a fatal accident at that crossing,” Mr Gilbert said.
“Everyone’s been sitting there twiddling their thumbs on trying to get an outcome, which will be safer for our families at that school.
“If that’s not enough to progress this I don’t know what is.”
Mr Gilbert said the school council had been told Regional Roads Victoria was waiting for advice from Heritage Victoria before making plans for the project, but Heritage Victoria said it could not provide advice without plans.
Trees that are part of the memorial have been moved twice before, once when duplicating the highway and again when adding overtaking lanes between Arcadia and Shepparton.
A spokesperson for Heritage Victoria said detailed plans would need to be submitted as part of a permit application.
The spokesperson confirmed Heritage Victoria had not received a permit application for an underpass and was unable to comment further on safety and other issues raised.
“Heritage Victoria has not received a permit application for any works at this site, however, any future application will be assessed promptly,” they said.
Department of Transport acting regional director (Hume) Emma Bamford said major infrastructure projects would need to take nearby trees into consideration.
“We’re working with Kialla West Primary School and Greater Shepparton City Council to provide interim safety solutions,” Ms Bamford said.
“We will continue to work with the school, council and Heritage Victoria to improve overall road safety around the school.”
The Department of Transport did not state whether plans had been submitted or answer questions about which stage plans were at.
Mr Gilbert said he could not imagine families of those memorialised by the trees would object to them being moved to ensure children’s safety was put first, and said there had been 26 near misses in the past five years that he could find reference to.
“There’s no doubting a project of significance like the memorial is top of the line, but I’d like to think the families involved in Calder Woodburn and the families of soldiers on those plaques would be more than comfortable with the removal or replacement of those trees to protect the safety of children,” Mr Gilbert said.
State Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell raised the issue again in Victorian Parliament last week and said the site remained as dangerous as ever.
“Heritage Victoria need to consider plans for an underpass before any meaningful work can commence and the minister needs to ensure these plans are completed as an absolute priority,” Ms Lovell said.
“The minister must immediately fund the interim safety measures recommended by RRV for the crossing and clearly articulate to the school community when work will start on the pedestrian underpass, the only option to ensure the safety of our children.”
20°C