Dust deluge the final straw

Residents of Shetland Heights Road have had enough.

Their homes were covered in dust on the weekend when strong winds blew dust from the construction site of the new junior secondary school campus across the estate.

A video by a local resident captured waves of dust engulfing houses on Saturday afternoon.

“I had to stop driving because of the dust, I couldn’t see through it,” she said.

Councillors for Western Port Ward, Bruce Kent and Rochelle Halstead said they were bombarded with calls and emails from residents across the weekend.

“It was atrocious and covered all the houses with a full layer of dust,” Cr Kent said.

Cr Halstead agreed.

“It was just unbelievable, I have never seen anything like it,” she said.

“I contacted council urgently to let them know, to see if they could try and settle it down with water trucks.”

Cr Halstead described the storm on the weekend as the “straw that broke the camel’s back”, saying the state government’s management of the school project was “completely ridiculous and unfair to the community that surrounds the site”.

Residents of Shetland Heights Road have waged a decade long campaign to have the road fully sealed and believe the location of the new campus has increased the need for the upgrade.

Cr Halstead fully supports the campaign, saying the road was a health and safety risk.

“The community is getting to the end of their rope where this issue is concerned,” she said.

“The state government should be hanging their heads in shame over what’s occurred here.

“Council has been advocating to have the road included as part of the works for the school, but the state has said it’s council’s responsibility.

“The community not only have the angst of knowing the school will open with a road that’s not safe, now they’re putting up with the site itself not being managed properly.”

Cr Kent said something had to be done before the school opened.

“I’m thinking of the safety of our kids who will be using the area. We can’t afford to have the school up and running and not have Shetland Heights Road fixed up.”

On Monday, Member for Bass, Jordan Crugnale, told the Advertiser she was sent footage of the weekend’s dust storm and had followed up with the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA).

“The VSBA was concerned to see the footage over the weekend and immediately investigated.”

However she said there was limited water available on site to sufficiently dampen the dust during the high winds.

“The builder has commenced additional dust suppression on site. The project superintendent is attending the site this morning to review and oversee all corrective actions.”

An ongoing battle

The weekend’s dust storm is the latest chapter in a long-running battle between residents, Bass Coast Shire Council and now, the state government, to upgrade Shetland Heights Road.

In March 2019, the local residents ramped up their calls to council to fully seal the road and install drainage and lighting to prevent a major accident.

The issues raised included safety, dust, poor signage, traffic volumes, lack of drainage or footpaths, health risks and excess speed.

As a result of their lobbying, the project moved to the top of council’s priority list for road upgrades under a special charge scheme.

Residents had hoped the announcement of the new campus location would see the state government seal the road or make a significant contribution to the cost of the project.

A section of Potters Hill Road will be sealed as part of the works for the new campus; however the state government insists any upgrade to Shetland Heights Road is a council responsibility.

Cr Rochelle Halstead said the decision to place the new campus at the intersection of two unmade roads and not commit to sealing both roads “beggar’s belief”.

“The fact they’re saying it’s not going to impact is ridiculous. It’s completely unfair and the whole project is a complete schmozzle.

“They need to seal both roads. And they need to install some sort of traffic management at the intersection of Phillip Island and Potters Hill roads.”

Cr Halstead said the government should have consulted with nearby residents.

“They’ve chosen a site and haven’t considered the ramifications for the local community. Nor have they consulted with the local community in any way, shape or form. It’s just appalling.

“The management of the whole thing has been completely ridiculous and unfair to the community that surrounds the site. It just takes a little bit of care and there doesn’t appear to be any.”

Cr Halstead said council had been advocating hard without success to have the road upgraded and claimed local member Jordan Crugnale “refuses to take the concerns of the local community seriously”.

“We’re here to represent the residents. They’re not happy, and nor am I,” Cr Halstead said.

Although the road could be upgraded through a Special Charge Scheme, Cr Halstead said that process would take up to four years.

“Shetland Heights Road can’t wait four years. As councillors, we’ve had to try and negotiate through this, and we’re as frustrated and fed up as the community.

“We tried to play by the rules, but the government is not hearing us.”

The Safer Roads for San Remo committee is organising a petition calling for an urgent upgrade for Shetland Heights Road.

The petition is available at local retail outlets across the shire, or online at: https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/council/petitions/electronic-petitions/view-e-petitions/details/12/323