Lillico Rd discontinued for new housing estate
A decision by Baw Baw Shire five months ago to close a section of Lillico Rd, Warragul has been upheld.
A recommendation presented to council two weeks ago to proceed with the formal process of discontinuing the road was deferred when Cr Mikaela Power said council should seek a further report in light of traffic management and safety issues raised by two residents.
But, when the matter was back on the agenda last week, council followed through on its decision in March to proceed with the closure.
Council will now give formal notice of its intention to discontinue the section of road.
The proposal will see about 200 metres of Lillico Rd closed, forcing motorists through a new residential estate and then back onto Lillico Rd. The section to be closed will be between Eve Rd and entry to a new estate.
The portion of road is proposed to be closed as part of a 369 lot residential estate. One of the key elements of the subdivision’s approval was a requirement to modify the road alignment of Lillico Rd.
Officers said this was considered necessary to provide the best road network outcome for the future in terms of functionality and safety.
Objecting residents cited safety, accessibility for heavy vehicles and basic common sense as reasons not to close the road.
But, the report to council said an independent road safety audit had been undertaken and indicated the section of road needed to be closed because its alignment with new intersections for the estate would create safety issues.
The road safety audit suggested if Lillico Rd remained open, a new roundabout at Eve Rd would be needed to manage the new fourleg intersection, therefore requiring significant land acquisition for a roundabout.
Cr Peter Kostos reminded councillors they had already resolved to close the road and the recommendation before council last week was to proceed with the next stage of the process.
Cr Keith Cook said he had been out to Lillico Rd and looked at the intersections, footpaths and street lighting.
He said he held a heavy combination truck licence so understood how trucks would negotiate the intersections and roundabout within the estate.
Cr Cook said the roundabout that truck driver Chris Olsson raised concerns about was designed for a collector road and he had no problems with the ability of semi-trailers getting around it.
“The development has already gone ahead and that has caused problems with the current road. So the best way to make it safe is to close that section of the road,” he said.
Cr Danny Goss said if Lillico Rd remained open, a roundabout would be required to improve safety and vision at the Eve Rd intersection. “That would be a cost to ratepayers. We can’t expect developers to pay for it.”
“This discontinuance happened when the developer put in an application and council officers imposed conditions to discontinue the road.
“I reluctantly support it but I don’t see any other option,” he said.
Cr Mikaela Power said it would create a big change to traffic movements on the outskirts of Warragul and she appreciated people’s concerns with change.
Cr Michael Leaney also acknowledged it was a dramatic change to what people were used to. “The genie is out of the bottle and the genie isn’t going back.”
“The reality is we are having huge growth and there will be angst. This is about change,” he said.
Mayor Joe Gauci said if the road remained open it would be dangerous at the Eve Rd intersection.
“I feel for local residents who see change as a problem but I think we have to move forward,” he said.
Cr Kostos called for a division. Crs Kostos, Cook, Goss, Power, Wallace, Leaney and Gauci supported the closure while Crs Tricia Jones and Jessica O’Donnell voted against the motion.
Council’s intention to discontinue the section of road will be publicly advertised and submissions will be received.
If council resolves to discontinue the road, the road’s legal status will be removed from the land and it will revert to freehold, council owned land.