Princess Street, a Port Albert petition, Stratford grass grumbles and lack of female recognition, were hot topics at the penultimate 2022 Wellington Shire Council meeting.
Leaders of Wellington Shire Council were joined by several residents in the Wellington Room on Tuesday, December 6, for the second-last council meeting of the year, with local politics on the agenda as the holiday season nears.
A Port Albert resident, Rhonda Cahill, addressed the council, petition and photographic evidence in hand, as she voiced shared concerns about the poor conditions of Princess Street in Port Albert, between Victoria Street and Spring Street.
“Thank you mayor, and thank you council, for the opportunity to address the council about Princess Street petition,” Ms Cahill said.
The petition addresses several issues identified by Port Albert locals, including the accessibility to nearby halls, clubs, and properties, as well as the general usage of Princess Street by pedestrians and local traffic.
“I would like to add some photos that I took in July, then again in August, and then in September, and then again in November last month of the condition of Princess Street, and there has been no change,” Ms Cahill said.
“The photos show that it is still not possible to drive, ride or walk safely along Princess Street as always been possible for as long as I can remember.”
Ms Cahill stressed that water persistently accumulates at the Spring Street end of the street, which runs along Princess Street, filling up the dips, furrows, and uneven surface.
“The width of the street is covered in lush grasses now because all the ground beneath the grass is soaking wet, creating a safety hazard for unsuspecting adults and children,” Ms Chaill stressed.
“It appears quite solid to walk on, to drive and to ride on, but it’s not – you sink into the grass now.”
Sixty-eight signatures support the petition requesting Wellington Shire Council explore options for the upgrade of Princess Street between Victoria Street and Spring Street in Port Albert to a standard where the street could be added to the council road management plan and then maintained by the council.
Wellington Shire Council Mayor, Councillor Ian Bye, thanked Ms Cahill for her address.
“We will, in a couple of council meetings, give you are reply,” Cr Bye said.
Wellington Shire 2021/2022 finances
Every financial year council prepares an annual report to inform the community about the previous year’s financial performance and achievements, developed to meet legislative requirements.
The council must consider annual reports at a council meeting within four months of the end of the financial year. However, because of delays associated with the Victorian Auditor General’s Office, council has only recently finalised the 2021/2022 annual report.
Coastal Ward Councillor, Marcus McKenzie, presented Wellington Shire’s 2021/2022 annual report at the council meeting on Tuesday, December 6, highlighting significant facts and figures.
“Wellington is the third largest municipality in Victoria, covering an average area of 10,811 square kilometres,” Cr McKenzie said.
“Some demographics of community: 2.3 people on average per household; interestingly 50.4 per cent are male, and 49.6 per cent are female within our community.
“We have a total population, to date, of 45,452, which was an increase of over 4000 pre-COVID pandemic,” he said.
Crr Mckenzie noted the completion of the Warmer Pool for Yarram project, various boat ramp upgrades, Gordon Street Heyfield reconstruction, sporting club redevelopments and the official opening of the Cameron Sporting Complex in Maffra as key highlights in this year’s annual report.
“The completion of Warmer Pool for Yarram, which now allows for water temperatures of up to 29 degrees and was a project that Yarram encompassed for about 25 years,” Cr McKenzie said.
“The official opening of the Cameron Sporting Complex, a $9.5 million redevelopment, is the largest one-off investment seen in the town of Maffra.”
A little over three kilometres of Grimmes Road, Denison, between Maffra-Rosedale Road and Nambrok Road, will be reconstructed after the council’s adoption of recommendations in the confidential tender evaluation report of the council meeting agenda for Contract 2023- 025 Grimmes Road Reconstruction.
Northern Ward Councillor Carmel Ripper addressed the council after the Grimmes Road reconstruction motion was carried.
“For those of you who don’t know, Grimmes Road, Dennison, is in poor condition, and this project involves the reconstruction of 3.1 kilometres of Grimmes Road,” Cr Ripper said.
“The road will not be widened; it will remain a single-lane road. I am pleased that residents in that area can look forward to 3.1 kilometres of good road.”
The council has also adopted recommendations contained in the confidential tender evaluation report of the council meeting agenda for contract 2023-033 concrete footpath works.
This project will involve concrete footpaths being built in Seaspray and Loch Sport in the 2022/2023 financial year.
Recognising females in the Wellington Shire
Wellington Shire Council has received the minutes of the Place Names Committee meeting on November 8. It will consider recommendations from that meeting which include seeking support from Geographic Names Victoria for the unnamed road off Swing Bridge Drive, Sale, to be named Eliza Ball Lane, in recognition of the only female bridge keeper of the swing bridge.
Cr Rosetti addressed the council after the council carried the motion. “We know that over time there has been a lack of recognition of females in our community in the naming of roads and features,” Cr Rosetti said.
“One of the elements we are trying to do here is hopefully getting permission to name the lane off the Swing Bridge Eliza Ball Lane, after the only female swing bridge bridge keeper. To recognise Eliza for her work in those early days would be fantastic.”
Stratford grass grumbles
Stratford resident Thelma Keeley waited patiently for her turn to address the council, approaching the bench when invited by Cr Bye.
“I am actually here to make a complaint,” Mrs Keeley said.
“You sent out photographs to people around the area about not cutting the property – the grass.
“I am very disappointed in the shire for doing this because yourselves, you are not keeping up to date with your own grass,” she said.
“You had sent these letters out to areas that are absolutely water-bound, unable to even walk across, never mind put a lawn mower on.”
Ms Keeley told the council of her and her husband’s prolonged efforts in keeping Stratford tidy, cutting grass in several areas.
“We bought a ride-on [mower] ourselves, and we do it [cut the grass] with our own money,” Mrs Keeley said.
“I’m disappointed because the grass is a mess all over Stratford; there are areas that have not been cut.
“You came out a couple of weeks ago and cut the grass at the kindergarten in Stratford. Your gentleman got bogged, yet you send out these letters with photographs,” she said.
“The next day, my husband and I were doing the station [Stratford Train Station], so we cut your grass, no hesitation, we tidied it up, it looks good.
“What I am asking from the shire is, ‘Please look at the picture as a whole’; I know you can’t help what we do, but you are not doing your job, so please don’t complain to the farmers and the people who can’t cut their nature strips.”
Cr Bye thanked Mrs Keeley and advised the Stratford resident to provide the council general manager, Chris Hastie, with her details.
Final meeting
Wellington Shire Council will host the final council meeting of the year on Tuesday, December 20, at 6.00pm, after which council meetings will return in February 2023.
