By Renee Wood
Residents of a local Healesville street are urging council to re-consider the decision of special charges for the sealing of their road, which will see each property owner pay between $7000 and $8050.
The decision has been made following a recent survey council said it had conducted of the eleven properties, with five supporting and four against the Roads for Community initiative going forward.
Director of Infrastructure Mark Varmalis said on Tuesday 14 June, Council declared the special charge for works to construct roads in several areas of Healesville, including Crosley Street, Campbell Steet and Pilmer Road.
“This special charge followed engagement with landowners on each road (in the form of a landowner survey), which required majority support of landowners to allow the special charge and road construction to proceed,” he said.
“Each of the roads surveyed returned majority support. In Crosley Street, nine out of 11 owners responded to the survey with five landowners supporting the proposed special charge road construction and four landowners opposing.”
Crosley Street residents were first notified by Yarra Ranges Council last year that the road was being considered for sealing through the initiative for residential roads.
The costs are split between federal funding and the property owners, and each street is offered the opportunity to provide submissions for or against, with majority to rule whether the special charges are enforced.
Council alerted property owners that the approval had gone through late June noting the outcome of a majority rule however, Crosley Street resident Elisabeth D’Elia is concerned this survey isn’t correct.
Upon receiving the notice, Ms D’Elia was shocked at the costs which are $7000 if paid as a lump sum or up to $8050 with interest if split yearly over rates.
Ms D’Elia then spoke with neighbours and discovered many were unaware and in objection to the costs.
“I decided to do a physical walk on the street… and having spoken with them [residents, they said no, we don’t want it done. I thought well, that already was close to the halfway mark, so I decided to do a walk, signing with actual signatures and realised there was a majority in favour of not sealing the road,” Ms D’Elia said.
Ms D’Elia said the residents are happy with the small dead end street being gravel and the large expense comes at a time when the cost of living is skyrocketing.
“People are struggling with interest rates increasing across the board – it is just the wrong time, and we’re coming out of Covid, I do know a couple of residents that are struggling literally,” she said.
Ms D’Elia collected seven signatures from property owners, including her own, in objection to the road’s sealing going forward.
It was hoped this new resident survey would support council to reconsider while avoiding a costly VCAT hearing.
Council received the letter on 12 July and disregarded the signatures, notifying residents that VCAT was the only option
“We replied on 13 July, again outlining the VCAT appeal process and informing them of the approaching deadline,” Mr Varmalis said.
The VCAT submission date has now surpassed and the residents are devastated a second opportunity of a majority vote wasn’t available to them once they knew more about the final expenses.
Ms D’Elia believes VCAT was costly and an intimidating option for the residents and was hoping it could be resolved before making that step.
Star Mail has spoken to and confirmed all seven signatures from the property owners who oppose the sealing of the road.
The property owners are concerned the initial council survey doesn’t reflect their position.
Council’s survey numbers show nine submissions, leaving two out of 11 property owners who didn’t respond to the initial submissions, however, out of the seven residents Star Mail has spoken to, four have said they didn’t respond.
Resident Garry Neale said he’s not happy about it and doesn’t want it to go ahead.
“As far as I’m concerned it’s a little country town, it’s a little country road and it’s a dead end street and I want it to stay as it is,” he said.
Resident Ken Bozkewicz said his driveway is also gravel so it will mean double costs for him and others to get those sealed to reflect the road’s condition.
“I’m not for it no, if they want to do that’s fair enough but I don’t see what that’s got to do with the owners paying for it,” Mr Bozkewicz said
Resident Julie Drury believes the sealing of the road will cause issues with drainage in the dead end street.
“Land owners are concerned that at the end of the street because of the geography of the site that the water runs off, it’s just going to run off at the end of the road…there’s been no support to say there would be any drainage put in,” Ms Drury said.
Mr Varmalis said Council understands the price can be unexpected but earnestly believe that the benefits for each property owner out weights the financial costs.
“Especially considering that the landowners contribution to this project has been heavily subsidised by funding provided under the Federal Governments Roads for the Community Program,” he said.
“Based on our estimates, the individual landowner contribution required for this Special Charge Scheme has been subsidised by $13,600 per standard property.”
