6.3 SUMMARY OF THE COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO THE PLACE PROJECTS PROJECTS

Some of the key comments that were received and will be incorporated into the implementation of the projects include:

Traffic Congestion And Freeway Entries

One of the most frequently proposed ideas was to alleviate traffic congestion on Point Cook Road / Central Avenue and enhance pedestrian and cyclist links to Aircraft Station and Laverton Station. To achieve this, Council is already working closely with the Department of Transport and Planning to secure funding and implement additional measures that will improve vehicular movement and safety along Point Cook Road and Central Avenue. Council has also undertaken the necessary designs to add extra traffic lanes and intersection improvements for Central Avenue. Furthermore, Council is advocating to the Department of Transport and Planning for funding to support these improvements. The recent $79 million upgrade announcement by Labor in the election for the Point Cook Road / Central Avenue will be utilized by the Council to advocate for solutions to alleviate traffic congestion and resolve safety concerns. Additionally, Council will use this funding to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety and access to Aircraft Station and Aviation Road.

Cooler Street Nominations

A number of individuals submitted requests for their streets to be considered for inclusion in the Cooler Streets program. Once the Place Guide has been formally adopted, the implementation phase for Better Places will commence, offering interested parties the opportunity to formally nominate their street for participation in the Cooler Streets implementation.

CATCH ME AT......MORE IDEAS

While consulting the draft place guide projects, several people suggested their concepts for ‘Catch Me At’ pilot projects. Once the Place Guide is adopted and the Better Places project implementation begins, we will collaborate closely with the local community to determine favoured locations and create ideas for the two ‘Catch Me At’ pilot projects. Our goal will be to identify potential community leaders and other activation opportunities for further exploration.

Local High School

Strong feedback from the community was received on the need to have a high school developed within Altona Meadows. The community felt that the absence of a local high school is a key public infrastructure gap, and in some instances, is forcing people to move away from the area. The provision of a high school would also enable kids who currently go to primary school in the area to stick together through the next stage of their schooling, which would help foster greater community cohesion.

The planning and provision of education services is a state government responsibility. Previous communication with the government on this issue had indicated that while the current population forecasts and capacity of existing schools within the catchment could accommodate anticipated enrolments, this information was reviewed annually as part of the Department’s state-wide planning for schools.