By Callum Ludwig
After funding was cut for the Roads for Community program, disappointment continues to be felt by residents around the Yarra Ranges.
Yarra Ranges Council provided an update on the status of the sealing projects that remained at the Tuesday 11 April Council meeting.
Lyster Ward Councillor Johanna Skelton said it was with sadness that she put forward the motion.
“Whilst I’m sure across the room we are all extremely grateful and thankful that we’ve been able to deliver a substantial amount of roads across the region to the value of almost $50 million, it is about one-third of the amount that we planned for and that the community were hoping for and expecting,” she said.
“We have to decide how best to expend the remainder of that money and what to do with those schemes that have already been declared but hadn’t gone to tender.”
The Federal Government sent out a formal notification to Yarra Ranges Council on 19 December 2022 which was received on 10 January 2023 to confirm the initial $150 million of funding would be reduced to almost $47.7 million, meaning it was no longer financially possible for Council to fulfil the entire priority list of road sealing projects.
Cr Skelton said she would like really thank the Council’s officers for the ongoing sensible and difficult decisions that they have had to make in putting this process through its paces.
“The option put forward here, that the allocation of that remaining amount happens in the order of first schemes to declare through to until it runs out, is a sensible one because the order of the road listing in the first place was put there because it took in a lot of criteria,” she said.
“First up, we had the roads for schools and community halls and then the very high use and high-density roads and then continuing down, I feel like it makes sense for us to then allocate the remainder of the funds in that formation.”
Up to March 2023, Council had spent $22,966,836 on the completed projects. A further $25,967523 is committed for future expenditure on projects at Practical Completion, projects in construction, projects at the design stage and staffing costs, for a total of $48,934,359.
$47,656,000 in Federal funding and $7,748,270 garnered from landowners through the Special Charges Scheme from projects declared under construction leaves Council with an estimated surplus of $6,469,911 which will go towards remaining priority projects.
Streeton Ward Councillor Andrew Fullagar said the funding cut now necessitates costly internal reviews and reports and communications with residents.
“It’s one of those items tonight where I wish we didn’t have to be discussing it, and it’s no fault of our Council or our staff. There will be much disappointment to many residents if they are on the wrong side of the line as to what we can achieve and what we can’t,” he said.
“We have been able to complete nearly $48 million worth of sealing which is a substantial amount and to that extent, we should be grateful that we’ve done a third of the allocation before it was cut from underneath us.”
13 projects previously declared for Special Charges Scheme are left without any commitment to the costs of carrying them out. Seven of these would be carried out as anticipated, with $785,973 leftover based on estimates and these additional savings would be held to fund future road sealing projects.
The following roads will be sealed as anticipated, ordered in the date of the special charge declaration:
Alpine Street, Cecil Street and Glenbrook Road, Warburton
Emery Lane, Montrose
Welham Road, Mooroolbark
Bretby Way, Montrose
Alfred Street, John Street, Wandin North
Tainton Street, Railway Parade, Wandin North
Cedar Court, Burns Way (Includes Harvest Close), Loch Avenue, Mayview Drive, Monbulk
A review of the Special Charges Scheme is now required to establish priorities regarding road sealing and the level of funding for projects provided by the Council and landowners.
19 petitions requesting road sealing from landowners remain before Council without funding commitments:
Breen Terrace Group, Ferny Creek
Gerratts Avenue, Upwey
Warra Road, Upwey
Nigel Court, Badger Creek
Wilkilla Road, Mt Evelyn
Launching Place Primary School Group, Launching Place
Edward Street, Wesburn
Pavitt Lane, Kilsyth
Wanda Avenue and part of Darinda Avenue, Wandin North
William Road, The Patch
Selby Road, Woori Yallock
Clements Avenue and Verona Street Belgrave South
Paynes Road (Warburton Highway to 9 Paynes Road), Seville
McNamaras Road, Millgrove
Knolls Lane, Silvan
Brumfield Road and Bonnies View, Healesville
Roach Road, Lilydale
Wiseman Road, Silvan
Wedderburn Crescent, Mt Evelyn
Cr Fullagar said while the Special Charges Scheme will have to be reprioritized and re-looked at, at least there is some hope for those people really desiring their roads to be sealed in the future.
“I regret the anguish this is going to cause to some residents who thought that their roads would be sealed in the next year or two and now might be three, four, five or six years away,” he said.
“But I think this is the most responsible choice so that we don’t stop the bleeding of money rolling out, it’s the most appropriate course of action so I support this recommendation.”
The motion was carried unanimously.
