By Violet Li
South Gippsland Highway and Ballarto Road Roundabout construction has been hit by an approximately $2 million budget blowout, revealed by Casey’s latest financial outcome.
At the September Council Meeting, Casey Council approved the reallocation of $2.3 million for the project from the capital works budget surplus along with savings in the 2023-24 financial year.
The additional costs have been incurred due to “significant underground stabilisation and relaxed extension of time costs that was not foreseen but is required to complete the project to standard”.
The project was initially budgeted at $11.2 million. It is now estimated to be approximately $13.5 million and is jointly funded by Council and developers, with developers contributing $4.2 million.
Casey Council is converting the South Gippsland Highway and Ballarto Road intersection into a roundabout intersection to accommodate the growing population in the area.
Construction work was originally proposed to commence in late 2018 and be completed by June 2019.
However, Council shared that it experienced a number of delays with VicRoads, due to design change requirements and active Major Road Projects Victoria and Big Build projects delivered by the State Government in the area.
Periphery works commenced on site in late 2022, with construction works commencing in March 2023. Council then projected the works would be completed by July 2024.
Star News reported in May this year that the intersection project was hit with locals’ dissatisfaction as Council did not timely inform them of the delay.
They said they hadn’t noticed any work in the past three months.
At the time, Casey Council said that the roundabout construction works would recommence in June and were expected to be completed within six months.
When enquired by Star News after the latest budget outcome in September, City of Casey manager City Design and Construction Michael Barrett said: “Negri Contractors (Vic) Pty Ltd recommenced works on the South Gippsland Highway and Ballarto Road roundabout in June. Relocation of major services including Telstra, NBN and gas with the relevant utility authorities has now been completed.”
“Council is co-ordinating with relevant authorities for further relocation and protection of underground services, which are obstructing drainage upgrades and proposed road alignment.
“As a result, a revised date for completion of work is mid-2025, however, this is dependent on Melbourne Water approval and completion of protection works.”
Cranbourne East local Colin Hampton, who lives close to the project site, said he was disappointed at the budget blowout.
“My experience in the local government told me, once if you’re doing a project and you stop it and you take the workers off, it costs a downside more to bring it back on again,” he said.
