Pressure builds

By Melissa Grant
KOOWEERUP’S heavyweights want the Federal Government to commit $6.5 million to a town bypass to catapult the State Government into action.
Spring Street is yet to promise funds for the long-awaited Kooweerup Bypass despite VicRoads drawing up two proposed routes almost two years ago.
Cardinia Shire Port Ward councillor Stuart Halligan and members of the Kooweerup Township Committee met with Flinders MP Greg Hunt last Friday to push the issue federally.
“If we can secure some Federal Government funding, we can push the State Government into moving quicker,” Cr Halligan said.
The previous Federal Government had committed $5.5 million to the project, but there was confusion at the time of the 2007 election as to whether that commitment still stood.
The Kooweerup Township Committee will now write to the Federal Government in the hope of obtaining $6.5 million for the bypass, a project which is estimated to cost about $14 million.
Residents are concerned about safety as well as air and noise pollution as heavy trucks rumble through the town at a rate of more than one per minute.
Cr Halligan said it was imperative that funding was secured as soon as possible to divert trucks away from the small town.
“We have a situation where they (State Government) could be talking three to four years,” he said.
“We have a situation where the elderly and other locals don’t want to go out between 3pm and 5pm because they can’t access the shopping strip.”
Mr Hunt noted the importance of the project and said the Opposition would do its best to get things rolling.
“We got the money before the election and we’ll fight forit now,” he said.
“We’ll fight for it on both fronts – the Federal and the State Government.”
Members of the Kooweerup Township Committee will also pen a letter to the State Government, asking for interim safety measures, including a set of traffic lights at the Rossiter Road and Station Street intersection.
“We’re trying to move the State Government forward in planning – we want it sooner,” Cr Halligan said.
“But we also need interim safety measures … (however) we don’t want them to spend too much on interim safety measures because that will detract from the need of the bypass.”
A petition will circulate around the Kooweerup Township for the next four weeks and Cr Halligan has urged all members of the community to sign it.