Baw Baw Shire brushes aside 3,138 petition signatures over 50km of road maintenance

A petition with 3,138 signatures has failed to sway Baw Baw Shire councillors, who will press on with an attempt to have the state government take responsibility for maintaining 50km of remote roads around Walhalla.

Former councillor and owner of the Walhalla Star Hotel, Michael Leaney, fronted council with what he claimed was the largest petition in the shire's history.

The petition argued for council to retain control of two sections of Walhalla road north of the township, from Walhalla to Beardmores and from Aberfeldy to Matlock.

It was in response to a council motion requesting the state take the sections of road off its hands.

Leaney accused councillors of abandoning roads that are "reasonably required for general public use”.

“Undertaking maintenance on the roads that the council owns is your basic remit,” he told the chamber last Wednesday. “Our road users do not expect these roads to be gold-plated or autostrada in the forest but they should be passable by a two-wheel drive vehicle as they are the main road and not just some bush track.”

Leaney said the Aberfeldy area attracted tourists, supported local business and provided a large part of Baw Baw Shire’s income. 

Councillor Kate Wilson said “the council never intended to leave these roads with no maintenance and to fall into disrepair. The motion is to consider whether the state government were a more appropriate owner of these roads given they’re largely within state forest and not directly influencing people who pay rate”.

In moving the motion Councillor Adam Sheehan said “the cost to maintain these sections of road is arguably not the responsibility of council given there are no roadside ratepayer properties”.

The motion passed unanimously.