By Callum Ludwig
The wait to repair landslips in the Upper Yarra, particularly the one on the Warburton Highway between Mayer Bridge and Hooks Road, has been long and arduous for residents.
Yarra Ranges Council Mayor Jim Child and CEO Tammi Rose met with Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne and representatives from the Department of Transport and Planning (DOTP) on Tuesday 14 March calling for clarity on the landslip, as well as others on Donna Buang Road and Acheron Way and Monbulk-Seville Road, Wandin East.
Cr Child said they stressed that the community needs clear and transparent communication to let them know what is happening.
“It’s extremely important and what the community has been wanting all this time, there’s probably going to be some unknowns once they start the construction work, but the community can appreciate that as long as they are updated on a regular basis,” he said.
“What we’ve also asked for is that the community be updated with a public forum, so we have a commitment from the DOTP to come to Warburton and give a public forum to let the community know in detail what the arrangements are going to be through repairs.”
Work on the Warburton Rail Trail is the first step on the ground towards the Warburton Highway fix, with VicRoads identifying drainage near the Warburton Bushland Reserve as in need of improvement to divert water away from the landslip site, which they will be doing over Friday 17, Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 March. Woks will improve run-off control and management to reduce the stress of any future water impacts.
Pedestrians and cyclists on the section of the Warburton Rail Trail during that time are asked to be prepared to slow down and wait, with traffic management controllers on site to assist them past safely.
A Department of Transport and Planning Spokesperson said landslips are not uncommon in Victoria and often occur after bushfires, heavy rain or flash flooding.
“They can be dangerous and complex to repair. we’ve worked closely with technical specialists, Council and emergency services to investigate options to repair the Warburton Highway landslip, to minimise the impact on the community as much as possible and to ensure critical services are maintained,” they said.
“We thank everyone for their ongoing patience and we will provide the community with further updates on the scope and time of landslip repair works in the coming weeks.”
Works on Old Warburton Road will be completed later in late March to prepare it to act as the sole route in and out of Warburton during the Warburton Highway landslip repairs, which are now expected to begin in late April.
In regards to the landslips on Donna Buang Road and Acheron Way, the landslip near Road 4 in Warburton and the Donna Buang Road landslip near the Acheron Way intersection sustained further damage from the October 2022 storms, while the two landslips on Donna Buang Road between Mount Toolebewong and the Mt Donna Buang summit are being reviewed by geotechnical experts.
The repair works on these landslips will require excavation and removal of damaged pavement, retaining walls to built, the road layers to be rebuilt and stabilised and then a gradual build of asphalt layers to smoothen and strengthen the road and provide drainage improvements. Acheron Way remains closed between the Rainforest Gallery and Road 15 in East Warburton, Donna Buang Road is still closed between Mount Toolebewong and Mount Donna Buang and the portable traffic lights are still in use at the landslip near the Acheron Way intersection.
Positive news has arrived in regards to the Monbulk-Road Seville Road landslip, with geotechnical engineers having finished their assessment and monitoring of the landslip and declaring it now safe to repair the road. Rectification works beginning in the coming weeks are aiming for completion and a reopening of the road in late June, weather permitting, with road designs currently being finalised.
