Rhett Burnie
CONFUSION remains over the fate of a plan to duplicate the Northern Highway between Kilmore and Wallan, with VicRoads and the State Government refusing to confirm if the project has been scrapped.
Mitchell Shire Mayor Graeme Coppel said Member for Northern Victoria Donna Petrovich announced that the project had been scrapped at a recent meeting between the State Government, Mitchell Shire Council and VicRoads.
“Donna Petrovich, at that meeting, said the duplication will never happen,” Cr Coppel said.
Wallan Kilmore Bypass Group (WKBG) secretary, Wendy Law said Mrs Petrovich had also told her that the duplication plan was ‘dead’.
“Donna Petrovich did tell us that the duplication was dead and gone and that’s the way it stands according to us,” Mrs Law said.
“There’s no funding for it - it has been scrapped.”
But Mrs Petrovich was reluctant to comment when The North Central Review contacted her on Friday.
“We don’t talk about the duplication, we talk about the bypass,” she said.
VicRoads northern regional director Mal Kersting also refused to comment on the fate of the duplication and instead took the opportunity to spruik plans to build a bypass of both towns.
“In keeping with the Government's policy, VicRoads' priority is to complete the necessary planning that will allow for the construction of a bypass of Kilmore and Wallan by 2017,” Mr Kersting said.
“VicRoads has commenced investigations to identify potential route options for the bypass.
“VicRoads will also continue to work with the Shire of Mitchell and other key agencies.
“This will ensure that the planning for land development and transport connections are linked and cater for the predicted future population growth in both Wallan and Kilmore.”
The Member for Seymour, Cindy McLeish, said as far as she knew the duplication would not go ahead ‘as it stood’.
Ms McLeish said construction of a Kilmore-Wallan bypass was the State Government’s priority but also maintained that it “might not solve other traffic problems.”
“If the place grows then we’ve got to grow the infrastructure,” she said.
However, scrapping of the duplication will contradict findings made in a 2007 report commissioned by VicRoads that found local road users contributed to high traffic volumes on the stretch of road.
A summary of the report, which is still listed on the VicRoads website, states that duplication of the highway is essential.
“VicRoads carried out a study into 11 bypass options and found most traffic using this part of the Northern Highway is local traffic or has business in either Kilmore or Wallan,” the road authority’s website states.
“The study, validated by an Independent Review, found that a bypass will not address the problem of increasing traffic in Wallan and Kilmore and that duplication of the Northern Highway, from the Hume Freeway to the southern entrance of Kilmore, is needed.”
Meanwhile, Mrs Law said the WKBG would now push VicRoads and the State Government to lift all section 32 roads proposal from land earmarked for the duplication.
“What we are trying to do now is to clear the section 32s so that there’s no lien on them (landowners) anymore and so that people who want to sell their properties can,” she said.
Wallan landowner Sam Monduse, who was issued with a section 32 for a portion of his Northern Highway property, said VicRoads had not notified him of any plans to ditch the project.
“I haven’t received anything saying that it’s not going to happen,” Mr Mundose said.
The North Central Review asked VicRoads if they planned to remove the legal notices, but no response was received before going to print.
