Rates stir up dust row

By Tania Martin
AN AVONSLEIGH woman has accused Cardinia Shire Council of increasing rates and decreasing services to the hills.
This comes after Fiona Sewell found out she would have to pay $350 for the council’s dust suppressant program.
The dust suppressant program can cost people $350 per 100 metres of road treated under the program with the council undertaking two treatments per year.
Ms Sewell of Paton Road in Avonsleigh, said the dust suppressant program has until now been a program that was paid for with people’s rates payments, but the council says that has never been the case.
She believes the council should pay for the dust suppressant program and that it should come out of residents’ rates.
But Doug Evans, shire manager of governance and communication, said the dust suppressant program has always been funding by residents who wish to participate in the program.
Mr Evans said a lot of people who live on dirt roads are taking up the opportunity to take part in the program.
“Some people even get together with their neighbours to share the cost of getting their road treated,” he said.
Mr Evans said the council will be running the program in December of January as this year promises to be a hot and dry summer which may lead to the dust being worse than usual.
Ms Sewell said the dust is so bad on some days that she can’t hang her washing out which means she is running up huge power bills because she has to use her clothes drier.
She said the dust also creates havoc with her health as she suffers from asthma and hay fever. “Every time a car drives through there is a huge cloud of dust that you can’t even see through,” she said.
Mr Evans said the council is aware that dust is a problem and is continuing to work with residents to minimise the impacts which includes coordinating the dust suppression program.
He said the council also requests that motorists reduce their speed when driving along unmade roads to keep dust to a minimum.