By KATH GANNAWAY
TOWNSHIP improvements in Wandin and Warburton, footpaths at Yarra Junction and Launching Place, a bowling green upgrade for Yarra Junction, and a some relief for rail trail users at Woori Yallock, are among projects funded along the Warburton Highway in Yarra Ranges Council’s $38.49million capital works budget for 2016-’17.
Wandin North shopping centre will get $109,000 spent on streetscape improvements around the town centre, with work expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Cr Jason Callanan said the council was working with business operators to establish what they wanted and added there had already been a lot of public comment on what was needed already.
“Shop owners I have spoken with are quite excited about the township getting improved and I would definitely like to see something happening there soon,” he said.
In Warburton $300,000 has been put towards the partnership with Melbourne Water in 2016-’17 for works along the Yarra River in Thomas Avenue while a further $316,000 is allocated in 2017-’18 for further streetscape works.
A new toilet block will be built at a cost of $200,000 at the Woori Yallock station site on the Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail, something that has been strongly lobbied for by the Friends of the Trail group.
$300,000 has been included for a feasibility and design project for the regional mountain bike hub in Warburton. Consultants, Cox Architecture, will meet with local business operators on Tuesday, (17 May) as part of their consultancy brief.
As part of the $14.26million roads budget, George Street and Edmond Crescent in Wandin North will get $590,000 and Wandin Creek Road in Wandin will get $50,000 for design work on a special charge scheme.
New footpath funds include $105,000 for a path from Upper Yarra Secondary College to the Steiner School and $175,000 to connect the Don Road footpath to the Warburton Rail Trail on Warburton Highway at Launching Place.
Cr Jim Child said the Launching Place link would provide a safe passage for people who want to go off the Trail, out along Don Road and connect up with the O’Shannassy Trail to Warburton, with the option of coming back along the Warburton Trail.
The Millgrove Recreation Reserve will get $164,000 to replace two light towers and Yarra Junction Bowling Club will get $50,000 to upgrade their bowling green.
Cr Child welcomed the investment in the Upper Yarra area saying it was part of a budget that had been hard work.
“I really take my hat off to Glenn Patterson (CEO) and the crew who have had to work on this over a period of time with the flexible futures program, activity-based working and service reviews to get to a position where we can still do these big spend items, but have also been able to align with the rate capping without having to seek exemption to strike a larger rate rise.
“It’s been hard work, but we’ve really got a result,” he said.
