Bypass a no go: Kooweerup residents express their disappointment, from left township committee member Gwen Lengerdorf, secretary Geoff Stokes, Catherine Manning with Jem, Cardinia Shire Councillor Stuart Halligan, and front, Kooweerup Primary School Grade 4 students Lukas, Ben and Jack. 30403 Picture: Meagan Rogers
By Melissa Grant
KOOWEERUP residents have been shunned as the State Government commits $992.3 million to improve roads and tackle congestion, but fails to fund a long-awaited bypass of the swamp.
The town had been waiting with bated breath, hoping Spring Street would dip into its coffers to fund the project, expected to cost $14 million – but to no avail.
Cardinia Shire Councillor Stuart Halligan said the news was a big blow to residents, particularly when the Kooweerup Bypass would cost much less than other road projects included in the 2009/10 State Budget.
“We were aware that with all other announcements being large, some projects might miss out,” he said.
“It’s very disappointing, ours is based on safety measures – some of the other issues are based on holidaymakers trying to get to their destination.
“Whether you’re a small town or small project, the State Government should listen to your safety concerns.”
An 87-year-old Bayles woman was airlifted to The Alfred with minor head injuries after the car she was driving veered off Healesville-Kooweerup Road on Saturday.
Police said the vehicle rolled four times before coming to a stop on its roof. It follows two serious collisions on the road in February/March.
The need for a Kooweerup Bypass was also highlighted when Kooweerup residents became hostages in their own homes on Good Friday, as Easter traffic bound for Phillip Island clogged the township’s roads.
Members of the Kooweerup Township Committee have vowed to keep the pressure on the State Government, and are also crossing their fingers in the hope that the Federal Government will announce funding for the project when it hands down its budget on Tuesday 12 May.
Kooweerup Township Committee member Gwen Lengerdorf said it was heartbreaking that the State Government hadn’t taken note of residents’ concerns.
“We’ve got no trains, we’ve got no buses, and we’ve got no bypass,” she said.
“We have to continue to put pressure on the government to realise we have a big traffic problem here.”
However, the 2009/10 State Budget, handed down yesterday, did deliver some good news for Cardinia Shire residents with $20,000 committed for a feasibility study to assess the viability of a regional motorsports facility in the Cardinia Shire.
