Anglesea residents to pay for road works

THE Surf Coast Shire Council will raise $188,000 from Sparrow Avenue residents in Anglesea to lay bitumen over the avenue’s unsealed road.

Council first resolved its intention to declare a Special Charge Scheme at its June meeting, following engagement with local residents about the plan that included public advertising and mail outs to abutting property owners.

In the latest report to council from special projects engineer Kate Sullivan, it was noted that two of the sixteen property owners confirmed support for the scheme, one owner objected, and the remaining owners did not provide a response.

The total project cost to both seal and install underground drainage of the road between McMillan and Parker Streets is estimated at $228,000, with $40,000 to come from council, and is included in the shire’s 2022-23 budget.

Ms Sullivan’s report states that 16 “benefitting” properties will be liable for an amount of up to $12,533 each, and will become due and payable within one month of an invoice being sent out after completion of construction.

Works are expected to commence in February 2023 at the earliest depending on the appeals process.

Residents do have the option of making the payments over a four-year period with 16 quarterly instalments, however should they choose to do so will be charged interest on the outstanding balance to council.

The works are a scaled-back version of what was initially envisaged by council, which in November 2021 also wrote to residents of the nearby Edward Street about constructing their road, however a majority of those residents opposed the plan.

Sparrow Avenue between Parker Street and Harvey Street will also remain unsealed because the two residents on that section of road similarly objected to the road works.