Horsham Rural City Council is undertaking a detailed review of its rural road network and is seeking community representatives from across the municipality to support the community engagement and planning for the review.
The review aims to:
- Identify freight connections in the municipality’s rural areas
- Establish a priority farm machinery network, to facilitate the passage of agricultural implements with reduced potential for conflict with main traffic routes
- Enhance safety across the rural road network
- Identify economically-sustainable improvements to provide all weather access to key farming property locations
- Rationalise the road network where appropriate
- Develop an achievable service level and maintenance standards across Council’s sealed and unsealed rural road network.
The review has a strong community engagement focus and Council is seeking nominations from the community to help identify the relevant issues and opportunities to improve the network whilst maintaining a cost-effective level of service.
Seven rural locations have been identified with nominations sought from each of those locations as well as a representative from the rural townships.
Steering Committee chairperson Robyn Gulline said the project was crucial to the planning of the desired service level of our rural roads and the role they play in supporting farming practices.
“Farming equipment is not the same as it was 20 years ago and it is now opportune to review and revise how the road network can support farmers whilst protecting safety for all road users,” Ms Gulline said.
“We are looking for community representatives to help us understand the current issues and to support Council engage with locals to understand the planning processes and aims of the project, identify those issues, problems and opportunities and communicate the outcomes as they develop.
“Council understand that farmers are approaching harvest period and whilst calling for nominations now, the community role in the project will begin in February next year,” she said.
