By Parker McKenzie
Yarra Ranges Council has carried a motion to declare a special charge scheme at its next meeting to seal Kirkham Road in Belgrave South.
The motion was in response to a petition tabled by local residents in December 2018, which resulted in landowners along Kirkham Road between Retreat Road and Courtneys Road being surveyed.
After the survey found the landowners showed significant support for the scheme, the construction program was referred for inclusion in the council’s 10-year capital expenditure program after originally being excluded from the list of roads endorsed by the roads for the community funding program.
Deputy Mayor Johanna Skelton said she would like to put forward the motion as recommended.
“This is another that has come through a petition process rather than the Roads for Community,” she said.
“I’ve got the feeling these are the first in my time on council to come through in this manner, obviously that shows the community very much persisted in getting these up.”
In 2019, the Federal Government provided $150 million in funding for the sealing of roads in the Yarra Ranges. The council’s Roads for Community program prioritises using the funding for roads bordering schools, preschools, key community facilities, road networks in urban areas and service areas with high property density.
Deputy Mayor Skelton said the contribution from residents would be a similar amount to what residents would pay through the Roads for Community Program.
“Even when they have that agreement it still needs to go in our forward plan for expenditure, good on the residents for banding together and taking action on their road,” she said.
“If I was that resident I’d be saying it’s a pretty good bet, so I am thankful for the team for moving it forward through this process.”
Council will contribute 20 per cent of the cost to seal the 520m road. The charge is calculated at $8,884 per development unit, 3 per cent financing per annum and 100 per cent on a development unit basis, for a total of $137,903.
The motion unanimously passed and was carried by Yarra Ranges Council.
