Erin Pearson
FOUR new sets of traffic lights are bound for Surf Coast Highway between Torquay’s South Beach and Zeally Bay roads, according to VicRoads.
But the roads authority has warned that a proposed increase to a council tax on developers would fail to provide enough money to pay for the intersection upgrades.
VicRoads revealed the traffic lights plan in a submission to council on its proposed C57 amendment to Surf Coast’s planning scheme.
VicRoads’ submission said five intersections required upgrades to handle predicted traffic increases under the shire’s growth plan for Torquay and Jan Juc.
The intersections were at South Beach, Coombes, Beach and Zeally Bay roads. The fifth would be at Grasstree Park after development of a new civic precinct.
VicRoads estimated the upgrades would cost $6.3 million.
The submission said the proposed tax hike on developers in the shire’s development contributions plan (DCP) would contribute $1.8 million to the upgrades, leaving VicRoads with a bill of $4.5 million.
“While VicRoads sees the DCP as a desirable method for ensuring that developers contribute to the provision of required infrastructure, VicRoads submits that VicRoads currently has no funds to upgrade any of the intersections,” the submission said.
VicRoads called for developers to make “greater contributions” to the upgrades.
“Without increased funding it is likely that intersection safety problems would occur before VicRoads is able to obtain the needed funding.”
VicRoads told the Independent funding for the upgrades would be considered against other projects in a statewide “context”.
Submission hearing minutes revealed council suggested VicRoads could consider upgrading the intersections when they reached the daily traffic limit of 3000 vehicles instead of to an initial upgrade timeframe.
The DCP would allow council to collect funds from developers for land subdivisions to help pay for public infrastructure in Torquay and Jan Juc.
Family landholders of small acreages have expressed concern they would have to pay rates in line with charges on large-scale developers.
Submissions to council said charging small landholders with the DCP tax was unfair. Council responded that it was unable to distinguish between large and “mum and dad” developers, the minutes said.