November Update

Drop-In Sessions Concluded

Council held drop-in sessions for the Draft Masterplan on 14 May 2021 and 6 August 2021. Approximately 25 attendees came across both the sessions.

Submissions Closed

Submissions to the Draft Masterplan closed on 6 August 2021. At time of publication, Council has received 61 submissions to the Draft Masterplan. Of these submissions 31 are opposed to the proposed Connector Road.

Wallan Community Park/Connector Road

At the two drop-in sessions residents discussed shifting the proposed connector road entry point further east along Watson Street and out of Wallan Community Park. Residents requested Council to seek a review of this matter from the Department of Transport (formerly VicRoads).

The Department of Transport have since provided formal advice to Council which reinforced its position on the connector road entry point on traffic movement and safety grounds.

Based on this advice and the traffic and transport assessment prepared earlier this year, Council Officers will recommend retaining the connector road entry point through Wallan Community Park.

The advice provided by the Department of Transport is reproduced below:

“The Department of Transport supports the inclusion of a new connector road to link Watson Street and William Street as it will significantly assist in north-south connectivity as well as movements accessing the Hume Freeway and the Wallan East Railway Station. It will also significantly reduce demand and need for capacity improvements to Windham Street.

It is the Departments position that this connector road be aligned with the existing McCarthy Court intersection to alleviate the need for a staggered T intersection arrangement with McCarthy Court and therefore the need to consider split signals and signal phasing.

Signal phasing would have an adverse impact by increasing the travel time for through movements along Watson Street and ultimately could create queuing that would likely back up traffic movements exiting off the freeway, given the close proximity of the intersection to the Hume Freeway ramps.”

Next Steps

The following dates are scheduled for Council to consider the adoption of the Masterplan:

Community Questions and Hearings Committee

The Community Questions and Hearings Committee provides submitters with the opportunity to directly present their submission to Councillors. This is scheduled for Monday 8 November 2021 at 7pm.

Adoption

An Officer Report seeking adoption of the Masterplan is tentatively scheduled to be considered at the following Council Meeting: Monday 22 November 2021 at 7pm

Once the Council Meeting date is confirmed further information will be provided to submitters advising the process for registering and presenting at the Hearings Committee and the final Council Meeting date.