It was during her assessment of Mitchell Shire Council’s Anzac Ave — Streetscape Master Plan that vocal town advocate Carolynne Burgess-Blackwell noticed a concerning detail.
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Developed to rectify transport constraints along the significant Seymour road, the plans detailed a range of recommendations for Anzac Ave, including proposed safety upgrades at key intersections, cycling and pedestrian infrastructure and public realm enhancements.
Of note is the decision to retain the four lanes of the road from Goulburn St to Delatite Rd to accommodate growing traffic and heavy vehicles.
This is where Ms Burgess-Blackwell spotted a potential error.
The master plan drawings which depict the roundabout intersection below the Anzac Ave underpass show two lanes, as opposed to the current four.
“At no point in the draft master plan does it show Anzac Ave as remaining four lanes there,” Ms Burgess-Blackwell said.
“It doesn’t matter what they say, it doesn’t show four lanes.
“It shows partial single lanes.”
As a longtime Seymour resident, Ms Burgess-Blackwell has witnessed the change in the town as it expands.
She has seen the difference between the roundabout being built with two lanes and with four.
“As a local girl who grew up with single lanes, I don’t want to go back to it,” Ms Burgess-Blackwell said.
“The sheer amount of traffic is huge now and the amount of people moving around, even on a daily basis, is huge.
“If you’ve got one lane of traffic instead of two, with every single car that will come under the underpass, you will have to think about whether they’re turning left, right, or going straight.
“With two lanes, traffic sorts itself out and feeds itself where it needs to go so it isn’t as congested in peak times as it might be with only single lanes.”
The master plan was developed with three rounds of community consultation before its adoption.
The first was held in October 2022 with the purpose of gauging the amount of community interest in the project, the second was from May to April 2023 and tested different options for the plan, while the final round, which involved the presenting of the draft plan to the community, occurred from May to July last year.
This consultation involved surveys, drop-in sessions, door knocks with local traders and meetings and workshops with traders, community and government organisations and school students.
During a council meeting on September 16 last year, councillors voted to pass the plans.
Mitchell Shire Mayor John Dougall said the main objective of the plan was to foster an image of the town’s future.
“The master plan is not a detailed design document, it sets a vision and strategy for future staging of infrastructure delivery and upgrade of Anzac Ave and provides a concept to inform future funding opportunities,” Cr Dougall said.
“Further work is required to test, define and refine key elements of the project, in line with detailed analysis and further consultation with the community.
“Specifically, any future changes to the carriageway would require detailed investigation, additional consultation and further design work, particularly concerning the Station/Wallis/Tallarook St and Anzac Ave intersection.”
Ms Burgess-Blackwell said her primary concern was the lack of trust that she had in councillors.
“They’ve shown we can’t trust them with big things, so if we don’t get the draft master plan to show the intersection as four lanes, how can we trust that it will be four lanes in the future when it actually shows single lanes now?” Ms Burgess-Blackwell asked.
“I’m being told it will be fine, but I’m saying no, it won’t be.
“All of these other things have happened in the past where council has said it will be fine and it wasn’t.
“They can say all the things they want, but the plans that have been drawn up don’t show four lanes anywhere.
“You can’t trust what they say. We’ve got to have it in writing, drawn up, so that we know what’s going to be used moving forward.”
To foster connection between the community and council, a Listening Tour recently took place across Mitchell Shire.
Cr Dougall said it was a chance for residents to share their thoughts on council plans.
“Council’s Listening Tours provided opportunities for direct dialogue between councillors and community members, ensuring concerns such as these are acknowledged and considered,” Cr Dougall said.
“The Anzac Ave Master Plan represents a shared vision for the future, built on extensive community consultation and careful planning.
“Council remains committed to ensuring the plan reflects the needs of residents while preserving the integrity of this important transport route.”
Despite assurances from councillors, Ms Burgess-Blackwell remains unconvinced that the intersection will be retained as four lanes.
Having attended many council meetings and community hearings herself, Ms Burgess-Blackwell encourages other community members to do the same and get involved to make sure local voices are heard on the decisions that matter to them.
“I’ve been going to council meetings so I can figure out how our councillors think and how council works so I can better understand how to achieve things for our community,” Ms Burgess-Blackwell said.
“The people need to know so that the people can be heard.
“What I’m mostly afraid of is that they won’t even try.
“If people want the intersection as four lanes, I want them to stand up and fight for it.”
Cadet Journalist