Residents at a crossroads

By Alison Noonan
DEVON Meadows residents are divided by a Casey Council plan to make them pay for an upgrade of Cross Road.
The council is to seal the section of unmade road between Browns Road and Worthing Road and construct two roundabouts at the intersection of Worthing and Finsbury Roads.
However, nine of the 18 property owners along the road are opposed to council’s proposed special charge scheme which would force them to fund a portion of the cost to seal the road.
Under the scheme the council will contribute 73 per cent of the total cost of the upgrade and residents pay the remaining 27 per cent.
Five Cross Road property owners are in favour of the scheme, while four non-responses to a council survey were deemed votes of support.
Councillors at the last council meeting for 2005 heard that residents were evenly split over the scheme, placing the council in a difficult position as to whether or not to proceed with the project.
Balla Balla Ward councillor Colin Butler said it was an unusual situation both for property owners and the council to have a 50/50 split.
“It is very interesting to have a nine all split but we have it,” he said.
“Some residents down there wish this to progress but others don’t want to pay for a road that lots of other people use.
“Council is still going to go down the line of the special charge scheme because it is seen to be a fairly reasonable outcome given that Cross Road is only a collector road and residents would normally have to pay 50 per cent of the cost of construction.”
All property owners included in the scheme will now be advised of the council’s decision to proceed with the upgrade.
Residents have 28 days to lodge objections to the special charge scheme.