Bypassed

By Kath Gannaway
A YARRA GLEN farmer is calling on VicRoads to take another look at the route of the Yarra Glen Bypass.
Halina Adams owns the 300-acre farm, which will be dissected by the bypass if the current route goes ahead.
Ms Adams, however, says she has within the past few months learned that the project which has been on the drawing board for more than 20 years was proceeding.
She says the failure of VicRoads to notify her when the project was initially funded in January 2007 has effectively sidelined her from the extensive consultation process, which VicRoads, the Shire of Yarra Ranges and local community groups have been involved in.
The project is expected to start in mid-2009 and be completed by late 2010.
Ms Adams, who lives in Kew has owned the land for 30 years, says building the bypass directly through the middle will be the ruination of not only a beautiful and unique parcel of farmland, but of the cattle breeding business she has built up over the years.
VicRoads is now in discussions with Ms Adams about acquiring the land they need. In a last-minute bid to save her property she is offering land along the boundary of the property.
“I am prepared to give my land for nothing so they can do what they need to do and not destroy my land on the premise they may need to build
Ms Adams says she was aware of the overlay, which has been over her property and a number of others for more than 20 years.
The original route, however, has been changed and her property is now the only one affected.
Ms Adams wrote to the Minister for Roads Tim Pallis imploring him to intervene, but says she has had no response as yet.
In her letter dated 20 August, she said she had only recently learned that her land was to be acquired.
“Very recently the acquisition manager for VicRoads told me that the bypass may never be expanded beyond my land.”
“I have offered a better solution whereby the same destination can easily be reached more economically and by less affect upon my land,” she wrote.
Ms Adams said six underpasses would need to be built to enable her to continue to farm.
“All my current plans and potential for the site will be needlessly destroyed if the proposed route is taken,” she wrote.
VicRoads says, however, that Ms Adams was aware of the overlay and claim to have been in regular contact with her.
“Our records show correspondence dating as far back as 1988, and as recently as August 2008,” project delivery manager Matt Walsh said.
He said over the past three to five months there have been numerous face-to-face discussions and telephone conversations between Ms Adams and members of the VicRoads project team and property services officers.
VicRoads says their consultation included face-to-face meetings, telephone discussions, letterbox drops, community meetings and media announcements.
Ms Adams does not dispute the recent communications or that the Yarra Glen community was made aware that the project was going ahead.
She maintains, however, that she was not notified prior to the consultation and despite extensive requests from the Mail to VicRoads, they have been unable to provide any details of a specific letter or other communication which would have enabled Ms Adams to take part in those crucial consultations.
Ms Adams labelled the failure of any of the relevant authorities to ensure she, as the lone landowner whose property will be affected, was kept informed in a relevant way, as draconian.
She called on the community of Yarra Glen to support her in her bid to put pressure on the State, Federal and local governments, who are funding the project, to adopt an alternative route.
The Minister’s office had not responded to the Mail’s inquiries on the matter at the time of going to press.