by Renee Wood
In 2018, Helen and Joey Estate was looking towards a bright future, preparing the business for a major expansion that would see up to 40 new jobs created in the area.
Part of the planning permit requirements was to front the costs of upgrading 700 metres of Spring Lane – an unsealed road the Gruyere vineyard and cellar door is located off.
It was a cost the business was willing to forego in order to reach their dreams, but now the pandemic has left a huge whole in recent revenue.
Stephen Powell from the estate said the road is a significant part of the budget for the expansion and the project has now been pushed back.
“What’s happened with Covid has basically set us back about four years in terms of revenue.. So in terms of making up the shortfall, from the projections of four years ago, we would anticipate it puts everything back by potentially two to four years,” Mr Powell said.
And to bounce back quickly, a strong recovery is needed – yet that’s something that is still far from reality for many.
“At the moment recovery is not quick, we’re not getting international visitors. We really do rely on Melbourne based tourism, even the way that we’re operating now,” he said.
In order to have a strong return of customers, wineries are relying on regulars and new visitors to come from Melbourne to enjoy the area, yet the unsealed roads are also proving to be an issue in that regard.
Mr Powell said many visitors leave feedback saying they wouldn’t return due to the condition of the roads.
“We have had feedback saying they’re here now but they wouldn’t do it again,” Mr Powell said.
“People that are used to suburban streets and what have you, again they hit a dirt road that’s barely even sign posted and they don’t really know what to do.”
“It can be quite hair raising coming over over the hill and a lot of that is just people’s expectations – first time on a dirt road, they weren’t expecting that, they’re within 60 kilometres of a capital city and then suddenly finding themselves on poorly maintain unsealed roads.”
Mr Powell said Spring Lane alone on a general busy Saturday could see up to 400 trips taken by drivers, a busy strip as visitors and locals use the fairway.
The upgraded road system would also help to move the area forward as cars and harvesting equipment access the same road systems.
“It’s about efficiency, so all the vehicles are bigger – what used to be a small tractor with a trailer that had two picking tubs on it, we have this thing that looks like a two-storey apartment that turns up to the picking and roads just weren’t designed for that,” Mr Powell said.
“Everything is bigger and bigger and the roads, government just hasn’t funded it. The infrastructure is literally the infrastructure that we needed for 50 years ago.”
He believes having road upgrades will help to speed up the recovery for many businesses, by dipping further into the tourism pool and is backing the Yarra Ranges Council’s push to get funding this federal election.
Similar to the ‘Roads for Community’ initiative, the council is calling for Casey candidates and political parties to commit to funding $150 million dollars to upgrade 150 kilometres of unsealed roads linked to agribusinesses.
The council said if funded, the project would kick off as soon as next year.
