Lights on hold

By Casey Neill
MOUNT Evelyn’s long awaited York Road-Wray Crescent lights could be delayed by more than six months following an eleventh-hour VCAT appeal.
Billanook Ward councillor Tim Heenan was last week “absolutely dumbfounded” by the last-minute request for a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) review.
He said the shire was on track to appoint a contractor within a fortnight and begin construction next month.
“I don’t want the project to be held up,” Cr Heenan said.
“The community of Mount Evelyn have asked for this years and years ago. We should get it underway,” he said.
A Mount Evelyn resident lodged an application for VCAT to review the shire’s planning permit for the project on 10 August – just two days before the deadline.
The application said the lights would increase traffic congestion on York Road.
“There will be a considerable increase in stops and starts on this steep ascent putting a lot of stress on the brakes and transmissions of heavy vehicles,” they said.
“Any failure of brakes or transmissions could result in catastrophic accidents.”
The applicant said the shire had not adequately explored using keep clear and give way signs or installing a roundabout as an alternative and no data was provided to indicate the intersection was a high-risk area.
They objected to the removal of 43 indigenous trees and also said: “A railway crossing will inevitably follow at some point in the future and no consideration has been given to how this will be incorporated into the system as it is very close to the intersection”.
But Cr Heenan said the council’s engineering department had addressed the concerns.
“Even though I firmly believe there will never, ever be a railway line through there, for the sake of the argument we have addressed it with the distances,” he said.
Cr Heenan also said Mount Evelyn Environment Protection and Progress Association (MEEPPA) had no objections to the tree removal. VCAT could now order mediation on the matter.
“If there’s no common ground found, they will order a directions hearing,” Cr Heenan said.
He said full-day hearings were now being listed for February.
“So, potentially this will be held up for many, many months,” he said.
Cr Heenan said residents had been calling for the lights since 1991.
“Because of the Warburton corridor and more construction going on of homes up there, the traffic has been building and building for the past 20 years coming through Mount Evelyn,” he said.
Former Evelyn MP Heather McTaggart secured the first cash for the project, for a crossing across the Warburton Trail.
The Federal Government and shire have also contributed funds to the $1 million project.
Evelyn MP Christine Fyffe has been fighting for lights and better traffic management at the intersection since residents raised safety concerns with her in 2000.
“It is disappointing that the project will once again be held up at this late stage and after such a lengthy period of consultation,” she said.
“However, I strongly defend the rights of every citizen to appeal decisions of governments. I just hope this appeal can be heard quickly by VCAT.”
The Mail tried to contact the objector, but did not receive a response.