Roadworks major part of investment
Forty per cent of the draft capital works program for next financial year will focus on roads.
Council will spend $13.3 million on roadworks throughout the shire of which $6 million will be spent on road reconstruction and resealing to address poor road conditions.
But the big-ticket item will be a $2.65 million project to upgrade Copelands Rd, which is being funded through council’s developer contributions plan.
Infrastructure director Cohen Van der Velde said the Copelands Rd works were part of the Warragul Precinct Structure Plan.
He said as residential developments occurred along the road in line with the PSP, road upgrade works were undertaken by developers.
He said council’s $2.65 million commitment was funded by the DCP and would ensure consistency between new developed estates and the older sections.
The works include a 350-metre section at the southern end between Albert Rd and Number 1 Rd and a 1.6 km section from Lillico Rd to north of Paramount Springs.
A $1.1 million for upgrade of Queen St will see completion of the final stage of the Warragul streetscape project.
Works will be completed to establish a promenade environment along Queen St, between Mason and Smith Sts, to complement works already undertaken in other areas of the central business district.
The breakdown of roads funding includes $2 million for the road construction program, $1.8 million resealing works on more than 70 roads, $1.57 million on localised pavement repairs for more than 100 roads; $1.5 million on the gravel road resheet program and $630,000 for the gravel roads sealing program.
A further $650,000 has been allocated to intersection safety improvements at Young St, Drouin - raised pedestrian crossings; Young St/Hopetoun Rd roundabout installation; Hopetoun Rd/Buln Buln Rd roundabout installation; and Connor St/Witton St intersection pedestrian safety improvements.
A further $80,000 will be allocated to local road safety improvements and $50,000 for guardrail renewal.
The $2 million road reconstruction program includes three key projects:
Thurlows Rd, Shady Creek - 1.52km from Yarragon-Shady Creek Rd;
Hopetoun Rd, Drouin - Manikato Drv to Victoria St; and,
Sutton St, Warragul - Bowen St to Hope St. Stage three works for Shillinglaw Rd will be completed with $670,000 allocated to close unsealed gaps between sealed sections of roads from the end of the existing sealed section to Gardner and Holman Rd.
The $670,000 bridges program will include a $500,000 bridge renewal program; and, $170,000 for culvert renewals on: Allambee Estate Rd, Allambee; Morrison Rd, Labertouche; Embletons Rd, Trafalgar; Middleton Rd, Labertouche; Warragul-Leongatha Rd, Ellinbank; and Brock Rd, Hallora.
Council also has allocated $1 million for stormwater and drainage reconstruction and rehabilitation works.
Annual wetland improvements and periodic renewal program to ensure the establishment and renewal of wetland and waterway reserves will include Chesterfield, Harkness Park, Fir Crt Reserve and Brooker Park all in Warragul; and, Tarago Rise Reserve and Red Hill Creek Reserve in Neerim South.