New figures have confirmed Rutherglen’s truck traffic to be worse than residents first thought.
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Indigo councillor Roberta Horne told The Border Mail a letter from the Victorian Roads Minister Luke Donnellan revealed 590 heavy vehicles travelled through the town daily.
“The numbers I was coming up with were around 200,” she said.
“If we’re not coping now, how in the world is Rutherglen going to cope when we get that new rail hub?”
Cr Horne will attend a briefing with VicRoads within coming weeks.
“They are prepared to work with Rutherglen to develop proposals for an alternative route,” she said.
“The other really exciting thing is Greg Milthorpe, who owns one of the local trucking companies, has asked for all the trucking companies, VicRoads and the shire to have a meeting which I will organise.
“[Truck drivers] have their hearts in their mouths every time they drive down the street – worried about hitting people – but they need VicRoads to tell them where to go instead.”
Cr Horne maintained the council would not be putting forward a preferred option at this stage with the decision being under the authority of VicRoads.
“Nobody wants it in their backyards, but let’s have a pragmatic look at all the options,” she said.
“A bypass is about $500 million so that’s why I’m suggesting a heavy vehicle detour is not going to cost anything like that.”
Northern Victoria MLC Jaclyn Symes, who has joined the push, said she wouldn’t be best placed at this stage to offer a view on the most feasible alternative.
“The ones that have been brought to my attention are Herrins Road, Parkins Road and another route but I haven’t had a lot of correspondence on this issue,” she said.
“Minister Donnellan has asked VicRoads to engage with the council and community to identify some of those solutions.”
Ms Symes said she welcomed residents’ views on the issue.
“I know the shire would be interested in some funding for planning and I’m asking for some more details on that,” she said.
“If it does turn out to be something the community is really passionate about, of course I’ll get behind them and I’d be keen to get up to Rutherglen in the next month or so to see it myself.
“To get on VicRoads priority list you have to start somewhere.”
