Traffic bypass jam

By Ed Merrison
SURVEY results indicating a high level of support for the bypass of traffic in Belgrave appear to have left the State Government unconvinced of demand for the project.
Latrobe MP Jason Wood last week declared a ‘huge response’ to a survey posted in January to almost 12,000 addresses in his electorate, but state Labor MP for Gembrook, Tammy Lobato, said she did not accept that results were conclusive.
The survey, which asked residents to indicate their support for the Belgrave deviation or the duplication of Wellington Road, had registered 3293 responses by Tuesday, 7 March.
This signified a response rate of just under 28 per cent, with almost 63 per cent of returned surveys indicating support for a deviation.
Mr Wood was especially encouraged by strong support shown by residents most directly affected.
Over 31 per cent of Belgrave residents responded, with 69 per cent indicating support.
Meanwhile, 75 per cent of Upwey responses and 85 per cent from Selby and Menzies Creek were in favour of a deviation.
Mr Wood said the results spoke for themselves. “It’s fairly simple. If you live locally and every night you’re stuck in traffic, you’re going to want to do something about it.
“This is all about what the community wants and the community wants a traffic deviation around Belgrave. They are sick and tired of being stuck in traffic when all they want to do is get home or get to work,” he said.
There is currently no specific model for a deviation, but Mr Wood said any overpass would have to include aesthetic considerations.
Mr Wood said cutting down traffic pollution and congestion were among many advantages of a deviation.
Among other advantages were the possibility of giving the street a face-lift and improving it as a tourist attraction, making the main street a more inviting one-way thoroughfare, and allowing the possibility of closing off the main street for community events such as markets.
Mr Wood said the Shire of Yarra Ranges would now need to undertake feasibility studies for potential models and said he had asked the shire to prepare a funding application due in May.
Mr Wood reiterated that a bipartisan funding agreement with the State Government would need to be struck, and said the federal strategic regional transport funding he would be seeking could only be used for a major road project.
“This might be the only time I’ll have access to this kind of money. We don’t want to miss out on this opportunity,” he said.
Shire senior community relations officer Simone Ryan agreed something needed to be done to overcome traffic congestion in Belgrave.
“The shire is open to funding for traffic solutions that meet the expectations of the community and fit with the unique character of Belgrave,” she said.
However, Ms Lobato said talk of a traffic deviation was ‘purely hypothetical’, and said the idea was not a council priority.
“If it was, the council would develop a concrete proposal. It would then be the role of state and federal governments to seek funding for an actual proposal.
“The council, legitimately, needs to weigh up the benefits of spending time and money on this concept when there are other established road priorities in the municipality,” she said.
Ms Lobato said there was not yet a plan showing where a bypass would go, how many houses and properties would need to be acquired, and what the environmental impact would be.
“I am always open to new ideas that benefit the communities in my electorate. However, without an actual proposal, and (with) a non-response rate of over 70 per cent to the survey, I don’t think this idea has been properly tested yet,” she said.