Road charges unfair says MP

By Sarah Schwager
A FEDERAL MP has spoken out against Casey Council’s special charge scheme on residents of local roads.
Flinders MP Greg Hunt said charges placed on residents of Browns and Devon roads in Devon Meadows were unfair, especially when the Federal Government had already helped foot the bill through grants.
“It is simply not right that where the Commonwealth picks up the bill for local residents, the council goes ahead and makes struggling farmers pay a second time for what are essentially through roads,” Mr Hunt said.
Mr Hunt said both of the Devon Meadows roads had been given federal funding under the Auslink Roads to Recovery program.
However, council has defended its refusal to back down on special charge schemes for the two roads.
Casey mayor Colin Butler said council had attempted to develop a scheme for funding the construction of important gravel roads that was fair to all.
“Council has to explore alternatives to funding infrastructure in a tight budgetary environment and with the increasing demand for improved services,” Cr Butler said.
“Casey does not have the means to fund all of the infrastructure improvement needs from general rates.”
He said council had recognised that it was not equitable for owners of property on unsealed roads like Devon and Browns roads to pay the full cost of road construction and so had included them in a new program for the construction of unsealed roads, which was adopted by council on 22 January, 2002.
It was decided council would contribute at least 75 per cent of the $1.8 million needed to seal Browns Road, a secondary arterial road, including grant funding.
Council decided to contribute 50 per cent of the $1.1 million for the construction of Devon Road, a collector road, also including grant funding.
The cost for residents of both roads was capped to $8707 for each lot or potential lot.