Jingle bills shock

By Tania Martin
This comes as the Yarra Ranges Shire approved its intention to apply a special charge scheme for Mulhalls and Patons roads.
Resident Michael James said he was shocked to receive the notice without any real warning.
He had been one of a group who had opposed the scheme but had not been told it was going before council on 8 December.
The proposed $1.3 million scheme is a joint project between the Yarra Ranges and Cardinia Shire as it borders the two municipalities.
It will see Patons and Mulhalls roads in Macclesfield sealed.
Mr James said he was shocked to discover the bill in the mail last week.
“It’s like they are saying Merry Christmas here’s a bill for $13,000,” he said.
In August, Mr James and several nearby residents told the Mail they feared sealing the road could lead to senseless deaths on the already dangerous thoroughfare.
He said there were several blind corners on the road already making it hard for residents to turn into or out of their driveways.
Mr James said it was a huge shock to receive the bill after months of silence.
“We were waiting for the next lot of information to come and then we get this letter in the mail and find they have gone crash bang and it’s approved,” he said.
Mr James doesn’t know how he is going to come up with the $13,000 one-off payment or risk paying more than $16,700 over 10 years.
“We are a single income family,” he said.
“They don’t care, they are not having to pay the money … they are putting up their share by using our rates.”
“It’s like being slugged a second time … you pay rates and then they want you to hand over $13,000 for something you don’t even want,” Mr James said.
He had even called on the council to undertake another survey following the economic crisis and the Black Saturday fires.
Mr James believes these two issues could have had a huge impact financially on a number of the families in the area.
“I am now resigned to the fact that this is all going ahead … the council doesn’t seem interested in the people’s concerns,” Mr James said.
“It’s really disappointing and all for the sake of a little dust.”
Mr James said the council had recently laid a suppressant on the road which was keeping the dust at bay.
“What’s wrong with continuing to do that?” he said. Shire spokeswoman Tracey Varley said the project had been put forward after extensive public consultation.
In 2007 the council received a 44-signature petition requesting the road be sealed, which was followed by a questionnaire.
Mr Varley said the council also held a meeting for residents outlining the scheme.
“Landowners were sent a letter last week notifying them that the draft special charge scheme had been approved at council,” she said.
Residents will have one last chance to have their say on the scheme by putting in a submission for the final decision is made at a meeting on 27 January.