By Dongyun Kwon
Both recommendations for Gruyere Road and Maddens Lane Road Rehabilitation works were approved unanimously at the Tuesday 28 November council meeting.
The Yarra Ranges Council accepted the tenders each from TDM Earthworks for the Gruyere Road Rehabilitation works and Prestige Paving for the Maddens Lane Road Rehabilitation works.
Ryrie Ward Councillor Fiona McAllister said it’s a reminder of these rural arterial roads that bear the brunt of increasing traffic, not only from tourism but also locals using those roads as backways and the impact of that on many properties, particularly agricultural properties.
“It impacts on safety and a number of other things,” she said.
“We’re increasingly seeing the demands on us to maintain this infrastructure and we are certainly ramping up, until the next Federal election, looking for funding for not just these.
“There are many roads [which need to be upgraded, due to the] impact of weather, storms, increased rain, increased tourism visitations and agricultural traffic, so we will continue to plug for fundings from other levels of governments for the future.”
The Gruyere Road project is estimated to coast over $1.1 million dollars.
The project is to be delivered in the 2023/2024 financial year, with works including pavement rehabilitation, spray sealing and line marking works with some minor drainage works.
Billanook Ward Councillor Tim Heenan said he also experienced poor effort on road making and boundary roads in the area.
“That dragged on for about three years and the shaping of asphalt fell away everywhere,” he said.
“It is important, it’s just about what needs to be done and I just wish we could do it on dozens and dozens more roads with the money that was taken from us by the Federal government.”
Residents and businesses along Gruyere Road will be notified of the works prior to works commencement.
The Maddens Lane Road Rehabilitation works were allocated funding of $2,050,000 across two financial years 2023/2024 ($972,000) and 2024/2025 ($1,078,000).
The location of the work in stage one is between Medhurst Road and Spring East Lane in Gruyere and includes 2.4kms of pavement reconstruction and minor drainage works.
The remaining length of Maddens Lane Road Rehabilitation, from Spring East Lane to Maroondah Highway in Coldstream, is scheduled to be completed in stage two.
Cr McAllister said it was another significant road with full of events, traffic and agricultural traffic.
“It does connect to a number of other roads in that area,” she said.
“So, it’s an important piece of work that road gets a battering, substantial investments and we will do fundings from other levels of governments.”
