Sick of living in limbo
No news since a letter in February
CONCERNED Marshall residents say months of silence from the State Government over whether their houses are likely to acquired and demolished has left them living in limbo.
A group of Marshalltown Rd residents received letters from the State Government in February stating their houses could be acquired if the planned upgrade of the Barwon Heads Rd goes ahead.
The Major Road Projects Authority is undertaking a $3 million planning study to duplicate the road between Settlement Rd and Lower Duneed Rd. However, no cash was committed to construction in the 2018-19 State Budget.
Project director Tim Price confirmed to the Geelong Advertiser the duplication of Barwon Heads Rd would require land acquisition but could not confirm what, if any, homes would be affected.
“The duplication of Barwon Heads Rd will require land acquisition. The extent of this is being determined through ongoing design revisions,” Mr Price said.
Long-term resident Ken Decker, who moved to the suburb in 1958, says residents want clarity from the government.
“I have lived here 36 years and I naturally I want to continue to live here. We’ve got a dog here too and I doubt he’d like going to live in a unit,” Mr Decker said.
“I received a letter in February saying ‘your house may be acquired’. Naturally it is concerning.”
Neighbours Phillip and Simone Rayner say they too have received little information about the likelihood of the acquisition going ahead since receiving the letter in February.
“We’ve been left in the dark, since then we have received no letter … we are in limbo,” Mr Rayner said.
“We have lived here 13 years and we like the area.”
Mr Price said the MRPA had received queries from local residents and was working with them to understand their concerns, which are being considered in the revised design.
“The project is in the early stages of planning and the design is being reviewed and revised to consider feedback received from stakeholders during public consultation,” Mr Price said. “It is expected the revised design will be presented to the community later this year.”
The Opposition has promised to spend $290 million duplicating 10km of the road from Settlement Rd to Lower Mt Duneed Rd to improve safety and get traffic flowing if elected to government in November.
But South Barwon MP Andrew Katos said a Coalition government would review the current plans and determine what acquisitions, if any, were necessary. He said Marshalltown Rd residents deserved answers from authorities.
Mr Price said MRPA would share an updated concept design with local residents later this year.