Residents are calling for an unsealed section of Kilmore’s John Street to be reopened after it was blocked off earlier this year.
The street, together with Junction Road and Murray Street, serves the developing Eden Rise Estate with two connections behind Kilmore’s largest shopping precinct at the north end of town.
The estate is currently only accessible via Clarke Street, as the section of John Street between Mitchell Street and Union Street has been blocked by bollards, signs, and boulders since February this year.
Eden Rise resident Corey Walker said accessibility was a concern, as Clarke Street was often backed up due to peak hour traffic on Sydney Street.
“The congestion on Sydney Street is extravagant at the best of times most days and if we get in an emergency inside Eden Rise, how are we to get out?” he said.
“You can’t get out of Highgate [Road] because obviously that’s a dirt road too, and you can’t get out of John Street because it’s blocked off with massive boulders.
“This is the third time they’ve put a block there, there was temporary fencing, then it was bollards, and they had been removed. Whether that was someone from the estate or somewhere else in Kilmore, I don’t know.”
Mr Walker said he had lived at Eden Rise since 2021 and had seen no works completed.
He questioned maintenance consistency as council continued upkeep on Kings Lane and Leahys Road nearby, with both roads currently unsealed and significantly longer than the closed section of John Street.
“Everyone I seem to speak to, whether it’s inside Eden Rise, Willowmavin, or Kingsgate, has had enough of the council sitting on their hands and not actually doing anything,” Mr Walker said.
“All we’re asking for is to open that up, fix the road, and have it through to Kilmore-Lancefield Road, which would relieve congestion in case of an emergency and we could get out at two points.”
Mitchell Shire Council chief executive Brett Luxford said the section of road between Mitchell Street and Union Street was currently utilised only for a property owner to access their land.
“The closure of this section of unconstructed road was undertaken as part of the developer works constructing the northern section of John Street,” he said.
“Previous attempts to limit vehicles entering this area have seen vandalism and destruction of any infrastructure that was installed.
“The recent installation of large rocks and signage has been required to help prevent the ongoing destruction of council property and prevent unsafe access to this unconstructed road segment.”
Mr Luxford said the John Street connection to Kilmore-Lancefield Road had been identified as part of the Kilmore Structure Plan, which included a future signalised intersection at Conway Street.
“We are currently undertaking detailed design for the road which will determine the final alignment, extent of land acquisition that will need to take place and the ultimate cost of delivering this infrastructure,” he said.
“As identified in our budget, council has set aside funding in future years for land acquisition and construction of this link road.
“It should be noted that this is a significant infrastructure project and a large financial commitment for council to undertake.”
Mr Walker started an online petition on March 13 to demand the completion of the John Street link.
After Black Saturday, any new rural residences requiring a rebuild had to have two points of entrance. Why is this any different? Surely an estate has to have two exit points in case of an emergency.