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Wimmera Vietnam veteran Ray Hutchinson, 75, of Dimboola, reflects on his time in the armed forces while attending a Vietnam Veterans Day service in Horsham. Mr Hutchinson, who went on two tours of duty during the Vietnam conflict after also being part of Australian forces in Borneo and Malaya, joined fellow Wimmera veterans at a community ceremony at Horsham cenotaph yesterday. Mr Hutchinson constantly saw action with 2 Squadron SAS in 196667 and as an intelligence sergeant in 1967-68. Vietnam Veterans Day falls on August 18, the anniversary of Australia’s 1966 Battle of Long Tan. Picture: DEAN LAWSON
Bypassing VicRoads BY SARAH SCULLY
H
orsham Rural City councillors are at odds about when to play their ‘trump card’ amid growing community concern about VicRoads’ preferred routes for a proposed city bypass.
At a meeting on Monday night, Cr David Grimble moved to seek a meeting with Planning Minister Richard Wynne, Roads Minister Luke Donnellan and Regional Development Minister Jaala Pulford to discuss concerns about VicRoads’ proposed amendment to the Horsham Planning Scheme. In front of 20 community members in the gallery, Cr
Grimble reiterated concerns about technical reports attached to the planning scheme ammendment. He said technical data should provide a sound basis to justify a preferred alignment. “The technical reports do not align with VicRoads’ preferred options B2 and D,” he said. “They contain factual errors and a lack of consistency. “There is no real justification, rationale or background detail in the reports that gives me confidence VicRoads has the best option.” Cr Grimble said he believed the community had been deprived of additional information about other viable alignments.
“I believe the options VicRoads has put forward can be easily challenged,” he said. “I believe the community lacks confidence in VicRoads’ process, and it lacks good governance and is not very accountable. “This is the very crux of what we need to talk to the State Government about.”
Mixed
Councillors Tony Phelan, Robin Barber, Sue Exell and Heather Phillips backed Cr Grimble’s successful motion to seek meetings with ministers. Mayor Mark Radford and Cr Pam Clarke voted against it. Cr Phillips said VicRoads’ preferred options – which both
cut through Riverside, northeast of the city – failed to meet the expectations of the council or the community. “I don’t see two options on the table – there’s really only one option, with a variant on the end, one north of the airport and one south,” she said. “The community got to the stage where they almost got Vic Roads to have another look at the route options, but then there was a change in government. “We are dealing with a political process and the only way to deal with a political process is to talk to politicians.” Cr Phelan said options B2 and D both restricted future development of the aerodrome.
“We have already started concept plans to lengthen the main runway to 1800 metres,” he said. “We cannot proceed with the future development of the airport if there are restrictions placed by arbitrary lines on a map, which VicRoads intends to do. “We should object at the highest level.” Cr Clarke said although she agreed with councillors’ concerns about potential effects on the aerodrome and the floodplain, the council had to operate strategically. “We’re all not happy with the decision that has been made until this point – we know that
it is the wrong one. There are a lot better options than the one they’ve picked and there’s lots of reasons for that,” she said. “But we need to be careful we don’t jump the gun now and destroy our chances later. “After the submissions go in, if we still find nothing has changed or we feel like we haven’t been heard, that is the time when we have grounds to go to the ministers and say we’re not happy with the decision. “If we use our trump card now – and that is to speak to the politicians before the process has happened – we lose that card later.” • Continued, page 5.
IN THIS ISSUE • Telethon raises $126,320 for Wimmera Cancer Centre • 16-page HDFNL finals lift-out Read it online: www.theweeklyadvertiser.com.au Phone: 03 5382 1351
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