Row over road sealing cost

By Kath Gannaway
RESIDENTS of Schoolhouse Road in Woori Yallock are crying foul after a 50 per cent increase in the cost of the proposed sealing of sections of the road.
Edward and Joan Clarke live on one of two unsealed sections of the road.
Three sections, at the beginning, middle and end of the road, were sealed some years ago at no cost to the residents.
Presenting a petition signed by residents to Yarra Ranges council last week Mr Clarke said in November last year residents were given a $14,000 ceiling for the works which were set to be carried out in 2008-2009.
Mr Clarke said residents received a re-survey questionnaire from the council in September indicating the cost had increased to $21,500 with no ceiling.
Mr Clarke said residents were now challenging the notion that a charge should be applied to the road at all saying it is inequitable to charge some residents when others have not had to pay and that the road is used by commercial and tourist traffic.
He told the councillors that the road, which is a convenient short-cut between Church Road in Woori Yallock and Yellingbo, was used by employment agencies transporting pickers to vineyards, nurseries, wineries, horse breeders, a demolition company, farmers and spectators and players moving between cricket and football grounds.
“When the road is sealed local and other through traffic will increase as has been demonstrated by Macclesfield Road where I have been informed the increased there was tenfold,” he said.
“Because of the through nature of the road and regional economic development we believe council should take on a bigger proportion of the cost.”
He said sealing the road would have offset benefits for council which currently maintains the gravel sections.
“The road has deteriorated to a state which makes maintenance ineffective. Add to this the dust which significantly reduces visibility for the majority of the year and it is unsafe for road traffic and for pedestrians,” Mr Clarke said.
He said residents had for almost 25 years requested both the Upper Yarra Shire and the Shire of Yarra Ranges to make the road safe by sealing it and that some were now faced with what they consider an unfair burden.
“Those residents who are not fortunate enough to be on the sealed sections are being penalised by the slow action of council,” Mr Clarke said.