Enlightening promise

AT A public forum on 13 November, current Cardinia Shire mayor Garry Runge said that if re-elected he would deliver on traffic lights for Tivendale Road in Officer. However, he did not say how he would carry out this promise.
My concern is that over time I have seen the installation of traffic lights at Lakeside Drive, Doherty Street in Pakenham, and lately at Brunt Road in Officer.
I do not dispute the need for traffic control at those points, but the fact remains that the Tivendale Road intersection, being highly used and dangerous, should have received priority for major traffic light control long before now, and preferably before Lakeside Drive, Doherty Street and Brunt Road.
I am well aware of the facts regarding developer contribution to these council projects. However, Cardinia Shire in its 2004-05 budget allocated $480,000 for the Brunt Road lights and it really is a remarkable coincidence that the project has just reached completion in the lead up to the council election.
If it is good enough to wait on future developers to contribute to the cost of those traffic lights, the same practice could have been followed for the dangerous Tivendale Road intersection, especially when the safety of many residents and their children is at stake.
Gloria O’Connor,
Pakenham Upper.