Wodonga mayor Anna Speedie and councillors did not attend Monday night’s forum as it clashed with the January council meeting, but a council representative was present. 

The mayor said council does not believe the proposed closure of the Melbourne Road exit suits the city. 

“Council believes the Melbourne Road option proposed does not consider our city’s growth and the effectiveness of future traffic movement on and off the freeway,” Cr Speedie said. 

“Without supporting plans, data, the detailed reasoning and outcomes for the changes, the council cannot support any changes that affect our community’s intersection with the freeway.”

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Cr Speedie said council received the same information previously provided by VicRoads during last year’s public consultation. 

She said council wants VicRoads to further consider connecting McKoy Street and Melbourne Road.

“This would provide for better connection for vehicles from West Wodonga into the city or access to the Hume Freeway via Melrose Drive,” Cr Speedie said.

“Council believes more work needs to be done to explore all the options for northbound and southbound traffic movements along this section of the freeway.”

Council’s denouncement of the proposed Melbourne Road exit closure comes after a heated community meeting attended by VicRoads where the business owners accused the transport organisation of “cloak and dagger” consultation tactics.

VicRoads acting regional manager Steve McCallum said the organisation was in the early stages of developing options for the city’s freeway corridor.

He said they released different proposals because they wanted community views on the impacts.

Mr McCallum said VicRoads was listening to businesses and there would be ample opportunity for ongoing consultations. 

“Melbourne Road is lifeblood, we understand that now,” he said.

Wodonga Ratepayers Association’s Ian Deegan said the matter wasn’t “rocket-science” and businesses had shown VicRoads they needed to keep Melbourne Road exit open. 

He said if the plan was dropped, so would most of the objections.