Council hit by blast from past

By Rebecca Fraser
AN angry resident has called on all Casey councillors to be stood down over their mismanagement of a Berwick road development that has been on the council agenda for more than 20 years.
Berwick resident Barbara Goodier said she had obtained data through Freedom of Information stating that the Victorian Road Authority and Berwick Council agreed in May 1984 that a payment of $150,000 be given to Berwick council for the project, known as the Golf Links Deviation Road Gwendoline Drive.
However, more than two decades later and to the anger of countless residents the two ends of Gwendoline Drive have been developed but just 140 metres of land remains untouched in the middle.
This is preventing the drive from being turned into a through road.
Ms said the FoI data stated that part of the $150,000 was spent on putting crushed rocks at the Golf Links Road end, $17,000 was paid to the family that owned the land required, and money was also spent on solicitors fees and fencing.
Ms Goodier has now demanded to know where the remaining money went, why the project has not been delivered and why council continues to shy away from debating the issue.
Council moved on 15 November, this year, that they refer funding of $260,000 for the missing 140 metres of Gwendoline Drive for consideration at the mid-year budget review should alternative funds not be found in the meantime.
At Tuesday’s council meeting, a recommendation referring to signage for Gwendoline Drive was passed without debate. The council report said the past expenditure of the old City of Berwick on Gwendoline Drive had become immaterial given council’s current committed investment to the project.
However, Ms Goodier said just because council had finally expressed support for the project the past should not be forgotten and a clear deadline needed to be set for the completion of the road as a matter of absolute urgency.
She said she was ashamed, disgusted and livid about the actions of council and the fact that they had not discussed the road debacle at Tuesday’s meeting in front of the public and local press.
“More than 30 ratepayers attended the meeting to hear the discussion on the deviation road at Gwendoline Drive, which has been on Casey council’s agenda for 20 years,” she said.
“Was there a discussion?
“Of course not. It was pulled from the meeting with no discussion. Why? Because the press was there.
“Who in their right minds wants the press to find out about their massive blunder.” Ms Goodier said she would now contact the Bracks Government to express her concerns about council and try to have them all stood down.
Casey mayor Kevin Bradford said he had only just become familiar with the issue and would investigate it as a matter of urgency.
“If this is indeed the case and we have had $150,000 given to Berwick Council from the Victorian Road Authority in 1984 then I would also like to know what project the money was used for,” he said..
“I will definitely be looking into this.”