Residents fighting $77m bypass link

Andrew Mathieson
HUNDREDS of Grovedale residents are protesting plans to extend Geelong’s bypass to Surf Coast Highway.
Residents’ spokesperson Margarita Kumnick said residents of Bickford, Riatta, Hansen and Burleigh streets opposed State Government’s plan to build the extension close to their homes, fearing their property prices would plummet.
Ms Kumnick said occupants of more than 200 homes had signed a petition against the project.
“This can destroy people’s lives,” she said.
“There are people selling their house because they can’t afford to keep it. They can’t find a comparable house in Grovedale, so they’re going to have to leave the suburb.”
The Government announced $77 million for the Surf Coast Highway connection in last month’s state budget.
Ms Kumnick said residents “fell across” maps of the bypass extension on a Geelong council website only after South Barwon MP Michael Crutch-field had announced the funding.
Council’s on-line link estimated more than 16,000 cars would use the new extension every day on top of 20,000 already using Torquay Road to Surf Coast Highway.
“At first I showed people that map with the planned highway and some people couldn’t believe it,” Mrs Kumnick said.
“Other people who had read the map were really concerned and signed (the petition) straight away.
“Others didn’t believe it and said (the Government) wouldn’t do that.”
Ms Kumnick said an Armstrong Creek planning committee, not Vicroads, was behind the proposed bypass extension.
Residents had abandoned an initial option to sanction a 50-metre green corridor between the highway and their homes.
Mrs Kumnick said residents wanted the Government to move the bypass extension further south away from Grovedale and Marshall.
They had also called on community consultation with planning authorities.
“We want the outcome to adversely affect the smallest number of people – the road’s got to go somewhere but here it’s going to affect a lot of people,” Ms Kumnick said.
“We built next to a railway line but we never built next to a big highway – it was never in their plans.”