Bottleneck gets worse

A BATTLE is brewing over land needed to complete the McGregor Road duplication project in Pakenham.
Civic leaders have sought a public acquisition overlay after negotiations broke down between Cardinia Shire Council officers and the owners of 1 McGregor Road.
The landholders will lose part of their driveway and garden, with the council wanting to buy seven metres of frontage, totalling an area of 235 square metres.
Councillor Brett Owen said the duplication was a “must”, but hoped the council wouldn’t need to resort to compulsory land acquisition.
“We seek the owner to come back to the negotiating table so we can purchase the land without this (compulsory acquisition) process,” he said.
The front part of 1 McGregor Road is the only area where land is required for the duplication that is not already in public ownership.
Cardinia Shire mayor Bill Pearson said it was vital the duplication went ahead. He said it took him eight-and-a-half minutes just to travel from the McGregor Road bypass exit to the council chambers in Henty Way last week.
Traffic on McGregor Road has increased dramatically since the December 2007 opening of the Pakenham Bypass, jumping from 750 vehicles a day to more than 10,000.
The council has advised the owners about the change to the planning scheme amendment to include the public acquisition overlay.
The Gazette contacted the landholders who declined to comment at this stage.
The expected completion date of stage 1 of the McGregor Road duplication project has been pushed back from April to mid-year.