Councillors take stand

Horsham Rural City Council has returned to its ‘original position’ on a Western Highway bypass of the city following heated debate at a meeting on Monday night.

The long-running issue was again on the agenda after the council was unable to make a resolution at a meeting on July 3.

The impasse elicited comments about a ‘lack of leadership’ from both councillors and the community, but mayor Pam Clarke hopes the council’s 5-2 decision on Monday will put an end to a debate dividing both the organisation and the community.

“Cr Mark Radford moved a motion to go back to our original position in 2013, where we had no say for or against a bypass route, so when a route was announced we could advocate on behalf of the community,” she said.

“That was our position until Cr David Grimble moved a motion to not support Vicroads’ preferred option, option D, in 2015.

“But you can’t decide not to have a position, and then say you don’t want a certain option.

“It has ended up becoming a major debate.”

The council will inform Roads Minister Luke Donnellan and Planning Minister Richard Wynne it will support a Western Highway bypass of Horsham, but will not endorse or discount any of the route options.

“The council has endorsed its original, pre-september 7, 2015, position and will not investigate any other bypass options, as expressed in a letter to Vicroads in February 2013,” Cr Clarke said.

“The minister has told us there is no money to look at other options. I don’t know how many times we have to say it before people understand it.”

Cr Clarke said if the planning minster decided on option D – which skirts Horsham’s north-eastern boundaries – the council would lobby for a Henty Highway interchange.

“We will lobby for a ‘folded diamond’ type interchange, so the bypass will have less impact on residents,” she said.

“We also want a ‘full diamond’ interchange at the northern end of the bypass route with an off ramp into Horsham to encourage visitors.

“We will ask for flood mitigation design standards greater than one-percent AEP and we will lobby for the safety and future development of Horsham Aerodrome.”

Cr Clarke said the council also made a commitment to work with Vicroads and the community to ‘minimise social, local business, agricultural, visual and noise impacts of any bypass route’.

“We’ll also seek a meeting with the planning minster to explain why we have made our decision,” she said.

“We want to work with the minister and Vicroads moving forward.”

Crs Grimble and John Robinson voted against the motion. Cr Clarke said Cr Grimble indicated he would move to rescind the decision at the council’s next meeting on August 7.

“This issue is very divisive for council,” she said.

“Each councillor has family, friends or associates affected by one proposed route or another.

“It is a very difficult position for a councillor to be in, making a decision that could impact the homes of people in their community – it should be the minister and Vicroads making the decision.”

Cr Clarke said the process to select a bypass route had also affected residents, who needed surety.

“It has divided everyone,” she said.

“The motion moved by Cr Radford was designed to bring it all back to our original decision and stop the emotional rhetoric.

“Now, we just need to calm down, stop and take a deep breath.” SCHUBERTS PEST SERVICES Ph: 5382 7484