Residents on Alpine Street, Cecil Street and Glenbrook Road in Warburton will have safer road surfaces for driving, with one of the final Roads for the Community Initiative projects awarded on Tuesday night.
On Tuesday, 9 April, Councillors accepted a tender from JTX Civil Contracting Pty Ltd for road improvement works to seal the three roads, at a total cost of $1,007,090.70.
The road project will be funded with money from the Federal Government as part of the Roads for the Community Initiative – which was a $150 million, 10-year plan to seal roads across the region – alongside subsidised landowner contributions.
In 2022, the Federal Government reduced their funding of the project to $47.7m, meaning a majority of road construction projects had to be abandoned.
O’Shannassy Ward Councillor, Jim Child, said the works would improve the day-to-day lives of people in Warburton.
“I’m really pleased that residents on Alpine Street, Cecil Street and Glenbrook Road will get an improved road surface, with less dust and improved drainage,” Cr Child said.
“These works will mean driving through their neighbourhoods will be easier, and residents will no longer need to navigate the constant cycle of grading and maintenance that unsealed roads experience.
“This has been a project that locals have wanted for some time now, but it’s a shame that this will be one of the last projects funded by the Federal Government as part of Roads for the Community.
“This funding, which had been promised by Labor and Liberal candidates in 2016, would have allowed us to complete 70 years’ worth of road projects in less than a decade, with dramatically reduced costs for landowners.
“But, unfortunately, the Federal Government has made no indication of reversing the $100m funding cut.
“We’ll continue to advocate for our communities on this issue, and in the meantime work through the final projects on our priority list for Roads for the Community.”
Road works are expected to commence in April, with practical completion by early October, dependent on weather.
