By Tyler Wright
Members of the Kallista Floodwatch Group have met with Casey MP Aaron Violi and Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Tony Pasin MP to push for the creation of a masterplan to improve the condition of roads in the area.
At a meeting with residents and the MPs, residents shared their frustration at the lack of action made to seal roads feed into Monbulk Road, following major flooding events over recent years.
Mark Mullinder, of Owen Street said his house has been flooded five times since he moved to the town a decade ago, and he is at the point where he is struggling to get insurance on the property.
“The last time I was flooded was about 12 months ago, and the insurance company refused to pay out on insurance until I upgraded all the infrastructure for drainage,” Mr Mullinder said.
“It’s cost me now about $150,000; all the drainage, all the driveways, all the infrastructure, the drain to get it all down so that I can get paid out for insurance, which I still haven’t been paid out.
“We’re getting more significant weather events…and the infrastructure is just not there. It’s not maintained and it’s not there.”
Without a pedestrian crossing, locals say the terrain has proved dangerous for elderly people and those with prams carrying small children.
“We live in the most incredible area, but if I want to go for walk [with my kids] I need to get in the car and I need to go off the mountain because there are no footpaths,” Mr Mullinder said.
Karen Kestigian, who lives on Monbulk Road, said the multiple different agencies involved in planning in the area; including Melbourne Water, the Department of Transport and Planning, and Yarra Ranges Council, need to collaborate to create a masterplan for the development of Kallista.
“Last year, in October, we had 350 millimetres of gravel deposited in our creek – that’s all coming off loose surface on the road,” Ms Kestigian said.
Mr Violi said unsealed roads and poor drainage are causing “devastating flooding” in the Kallista township and unnecessary damage to local homes.
“Gleghorn Rd, Emberson Rd and Rivington Avenue are just three of 22 unsealed roads in Kallista that would have been sealed under the Roads for Communities program, funded by the former Liberal Government,” Mr Violi said.
“The Albanese Labor Government’s decision to rip this road sealing funding away from our community is absolutely devastating, not just for Kallista but for towns right across the Yarra Ranges.
“The residents of Kallista deserve safe, sealed roads. That’s why I invited Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure, Tony Pasin MP to see these dangers for himself and to hear firsthand from the Kallista Flood Watch Group.”
Mr Pasin said road surfacing would take away issues around contamination in local creek beds and supported a rolling program of road sealing in the area.
“Rolling programs are powerful in the sense of visualising the eight or so kilometres that’s not bitumen or at least hard surfaced,” he said.
“For me, it’ll also deal with significant safety concerns.
“I look at some of those dents as we were driving down the road thinking ‘goodness, that dangerous in both directions… dangerous in getting up, dangerous in getting down.”
Mr Pasin said there is a need to get back to “proactive assessment” of flood risk in the community and collect floodwater at its source.
“Which is exactly what the Emergency Management proactive funds are [there for].
“I’m reasonably confident that the resources exist, or are at least available, so that the likes of your shire council can access funding to do that planning.”
