FAQs

While there is no confirmed timeline for the bypass road to be built, Council believes it is important to press on and improve the look and feel of the town centre as soon as possible, and so that once the bypass is constructed – an improved streetscape in Sydney Street will already be in place.     

The Kilmore Structure Plan, adopted by Council in 2016, helped to confirm the route for the bypass around Kilmore so that the land could be preserved and purchased for the bypass.  

The construction of the Wallan-Kilmore Bypass is an important advocacy priority for Mitchell Shire Council. Council has been actively and continually campaigning for this piece of major regional road infrastructure to improve traffic movements and improve the potential for economic development along the main streets in Kilmore and Wallan.  

Specifically, Council is campaigning for $40 million for Year 1 design and construction and $160 million for Year 2 construction.  

So far, our advocacy efforts have helped to achieve the allocation of $20 million by State Government for land purchase to safeguard the route. State Government has also committed $12 million for the construction of a new roundabout at the intersection of the Northern Highway and Wandong Road, which lays the foundation for a future Kilmore Bypass route.  

The Kilmore Town Centre Plan was adopted by Council in 2016 as long-term plan for Sydney Street and the surrounding area and it clearly identified the need to make it easier for pedestrians to cross Sydney Street.  

At this stage, pedestrian crossing points cannot be installed – see previous answer for further information.  

However, it is the intension to eventually install pedestrian refuges, to make it easier and safer for pedestrians to cross the road.  

When they are eventually installed, the pedestrian crossing points will involve construction of a small traffic island or ‘pedestrian refuge’ in the centre of the road that enables pedestrians to cross half way across the road when it is safe to do so, and then to pause and wait until it is safe and clear so that they can finishing crossing the road to the other side. 

The kerbs will be extended out around the crossing points as well to allow pedestrians to have a clearer line of sight to on coming traffic, as well as to allow motorists to also be able to see pedestrians more easily. 

The kerb outstands, which will only be at the three new crossing points, will also create a little more space for tree and low-level landscape planting, park benches.  

A major reason for undertaking this project to improve the streetscape to make Sydney Street a more pleasant place to visit, shop in and dine in – thus benefiting local residents, visitors and also supporting local trades and jobs. The construction period will be tightly managed to ensure that impacts on traders are minimised as much as possible. 

The possible impacts will be thought through and discussed with traders and wherever possible, mitigation measures will be put in place. Because Sydney Street is a significant arterial road, it is likely that some works will need to be done at night to minimise traffic impacts. This will also have the benefit of minimising impacts on traders.  

Council officers have already walked the street and spoken with as many traders as possible and will continue to reach out to traders in the lead up to and during construction. The construction contractor’s lead site manager will also make her/himself known to traders and traders will be provided with a direct phone number to call if they experience any problems during construction.  

It is expected that, from start to finish, the project will take several months to construct. 

With any project, the exact construction timeline can be affected by unexpected circumstances that can be nearly impossible to predict before the project starts; such as finding unexpected obstacles below ground that take longer to deal with (Kilmore is Victoria’s oldest inland town, and there may be infrastructure below ground that was placed there before proper records began to be kept) or by poor weather.   

Council commits to keeping the community and especially traders informed as the project is undertaken, and will communicate regularly with traders about construction timelines.  

Council and the landscape architects that are assisting Council have consulted directly with the Kilmore Heritage Society and with Mitchell Shire Council Heritage Committee members to ensure that the designs for the project take appropriate account of and reflect Kilmore’s significant and valued history.   

Additionally, all new street furnishings will be identical to or in keeping with the historical character of existing street furniture; to enhance the authentic and historic character of the street and to help celebrate Kilmore’s claim to be Victoria’s earliest inland settled town.  

The two proposals for a new colour palette have also been sourced directly from the National Trust’s guide to using Victorian-era colours in external settings to ensure that the colour scheme is authentically Victorian.    

The creation of two new crossing points between Bourke Street and Union Street will result in the loss of some car parking spaces. PTV have also informed Council that they wish to put in two new bus stops (which would have happened regardless of whether or not the wider Sydney Street Rejuvenation project went ahead).   

In total, the changes will involve:

It should also be noted that Essential Project 5 – Identified within the Kilmore Town Centre Plan – identifies an opportunity for the provision of approximately 30 to 35 new car park spaces on Council owned land at the back of the existing Royal Oak Hotel car park. While Essential Project 5 is not yet funded; it is an identified project within an adopted plan and Council is committed to continuing to deliver the Kilmore Town Centre Plan in coming years.  

• 3 new trees (Nyssa sylvatica ‘Forum’; common name Tupelo Black Forum) will be planted in the new outstand at Mitchell St  
• 12 new trees (Fraxinus pennsylvanica ‘Urbanite’; Common name Urbanite Ash) will be planted adjacent to the Coles car park (10) (2 in line with the carparks, and 10 in the garden bed adj to Coles carpark); 
• 25 new trees (Brachychiton populneus x acerifolious “Jerilderie Red” which is a new grafted hybrid of the Brachychiton or Illawarra Flame Tree) to be planted between the footpath and the footpath and kerb mostly on the western side of the street.   
• 31 new trees (Lagerstroemia indica cultivars “Sioux”, “Natchez”, & “Tonto”; common name Crepe Myrtle, various cultivars) to be planted between the footpath and kerb, mostly on the east side of the street under the overhead powerlines. 

Approximately 24 new trees will be planted, most likely as follows: 

• 15 existing trees (Robinia pseudoacacia; common name Black Locust) will be removed  
• 16 new trees (Nyssa sylvatica ‘Forum’; common name Tupelo Black Foru) will be planted in the existing and two new outstands 
• 8 new trees (Brachychiton populneus x acerifolious; common name ‘Jerilderie Red’ - a new grafted hybrid of the Brachychiton or Illawarra Flame Tree) will be planted in line with the carparks  

The existing trees on Sydney must be pruned back severely each year because they are planted in shallow, poorly prepared soil beds and are highly vulnerable to being blown over if allowed to grow too large and top heavy.  

For this project and the new tree plantings that will take place, extensive root zone preparations will be made to ensure the new trees can establish deeper roots, creating the necessary conditions to ensure a wonderful avenue of trees can safely grow and mature. Larger, mature trees will define a positive character for Sydney Street in years to come.