Mayor calls for bypass re-start

Horsham Mayor Pam Clarke will strongly support moves to rescind decisions on the council’s official position on a future Western Highway bypass route around the city.

She said she expected Cr Mark Radford to present the rescind motion at the council’s next meeting on Monday night.

Crs Clarke, Radford and Josh Koenig were attending a local government conference in Canberra and were unable to attend the previous Horsham council meeting.

Cr Clarke said a motion from the past fortnightly meeting, which shored up a council stance to oppose a Vicroads-favoured north-eastern bypass route known as Option D, was inappropriate because of councillor absence.

“None of the issues were on the agenda on the night and it was inappropriate to debate an issue of such importance without all councillors being present,” she said.

“It was understood by all councillors that discussion would not take place on the bypass until all councillors were present at the next meeting.”

Cr David Grimble, who chaired the last council meeting, said he had been compelled to accept a motion from Cr John Robinson to declare the council’s position on the bypass.

He said the State Government had asked for a position by a June 30 deadline and a lack of official confirmation of an opportunity for an extension had prompted the move.

Cr Robinson moved to declare the council’s position based on a fear that failure to do so might mean it would lose any say on the issue.

The four councillors at the meeting voted 2-2 and Cr Grimble, with the casting vote, passed the motion.

But Cr Clarke said council chief executive Peter Brown had written to Planning Minister Richard Wynne to request a timeline extension.

She also stressed there was an understanding between councillors the issue could be debated at the next meeting.