David Braithwaite
WELLINGTON Shire Council has declared a special charge scheme to pay for street upgrades in the eastern part of Coongulla.
The declaration was made after council received no objections to the scheme going ahead.
Apart of Ryan Rd, the main access road in and out of town, all streets in Coongulla are unsealed and of various widths and formations.
The scheme area – Ben Cruachan Parade, Mt Bradley St, Skene Crescent, and parts of Tamboritha Terrace, and Blores and Narrabuk Sts – has 92 properties belonging to 80 owners, who will contribute a total of $316,800.
The remainder of the $600,000 will be covered by council’s share of federal government Roads to Recovery funding.
Council began a formal investigation for a special charge scheme across the town following concerns from property owners relating to dust, rutting and maintenance, with a public meeting held in November 2019.
The scheme didn’t proceed after fewer than the required 60 per cent of property owners supported it going ahead.
However, the survey found higher levels of support in the central and eastern parts of town.
Property owners in these two areas were surveyed again, after being shown the proposal for the construction, which includes forming and sealing of the road up to six metres in width, kerbs at intersections, table drains, driveway culverts and sealed vehicle crossings.
Work on the scheme continued only in the eastern area, with support there above the 60 per cent threshold, while it was below in the central.
Councillor John Tatterson hoped the remainder of Coongulla would be encouraged to take up a similar scheme after seeing the benefits of the works.
“We’ll hopefully see other opportunities for the rest of the town to come on board, similar to what the Port Albert community has done,” he said.
“Hopefully it’s a town-wide approach for Coongulla.
“Certainly for that area that’s involved in this charge to have their streets constructed to reduce the dust will be of significant benefits to those people there.”
