Road rebels hit council

By Melissa Grant
Forty out of 52 affected landholders were against contributing to the cost of the project, despite 14 of them tabling a petition to council last year to have the 2.6km road sealed.
“I regret the outcome and I feel very disappointed for the residents,” Ranges Ward councillor Graeme Legge said.
Under special road charge schemes, landholders are required to contribute a third of the road seal cost.
Cr Legge said these costs ranged from $8000 to $20,000, and sometimes more, for each affected landholder.
“People like to have roads constructed,” he said.
“The cost factor is what is reasonable and what is beyond being reasonable.
“Some of the ones proposed up in the hills have been very expensive.”
Fellow Ranges Ward councillor Ed Chatwin said the council was facing more refusals to special road charge schemes. “We’re (now) moving out of the easy ones,” he said.
Cr Chatwin said the burden on abutting landholders was too high when there were too few of them to share the costs.
Cardinia Shire mayor Bill Pearson said the percentage of the cost which landholders contributed would be examined as part of the review.
“Normally residents pay two thirds and the council one third (of seal), but nearly all of them have drainage problems so the council does the drainage works and that works out 50-50,” he explained.
“The last couple have been hard to get up and that’s a sign that times are getting tough.”
Cr Pearson said the previous council had already made improvements to the scheme.
“When the previous council came in they (landholders) had to pay up front, now they can pay over seven years,” he said.
Cr Legge hoped the review would assist in getting more roads sealed under the scheme.
Councillors are uncertain as to when the review will take place.