50 YEARS AGO
Warragul Gazette – Tuesday, May 26, 1970.
SHIRE MEETS ON PARKING
Warragul’s immediate and future parking problems will be discussed in detail at a special council meeting.
A special survey prepared last year by shire engineer Mr K. C. Langdon is expected to form the basis of lengthy debate from which recommendations are likely to be framed.
The meeting, to which members of Warragul Chamber of Commerce have been invited, follows a long list of recommendations contained in a letter to council as a result of a special chamber meeting last month.
The special meeting, recommended by Councils Public Works Committee, follows months of correspondence between the council and the chamber on the need to provide more off-street parking facilities.
In a lengthy letter to council, the chamber suggested an investigation into the possibility of extending the area proposed at the rear of premises on the south side of Queen Street, west of Smith Street to include the total areas between the Bank of New South Wales premises and the western boundary of the land occupied or owned by the Guardian Offices.
Priorities suggested for implementation of the plan were:- Queen Street – particularly in view of the proposed CRB roadworks; the area at the rear of Shell Service Station in Victoria St; and the Palmerston St area, or land adjacent to Briggs Lane, north of the Woolworths car park.
Businessmen still seeking a change
Queen Street businessmen concerned over current moves to reconstruct Princes Highway from Latrobe St to Smith St are advocating postponing the project until the Warragul bypass road is completed.
A spokesman for the businessmen said that the council and Country Roads Board should adopt a “wait and see” attitude.
“Before spending $200,000 on the Princes Highway reconstruction, we should get highway traffic out of the town and assess the effect of the bypass.
“We are not happy about parallel parking.
“It does seem that difficulties could arise with two-way split level highway and parallel parking,” he said.
Historical items prove worth
Warragul and District Historical Society’s museum had attracted thousands of visitors in its first full year of operation, society secretary Miss O. Marrabel told the annual meeting.
The museum, which opened in May last year, contains a wide variety of items closely associated with the history of the district.
Miss Marrabel said visitors had shown their appreciation of the display by generous donations which – together with subscriptions of members – had placed the society in a satisfactory financial position.