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By ANTHONY RADFORD
FORMER City of Greater Bendigo mayor Kevin Gibbins has called for the Nolan Street tram stop works to be put on hold.
The plan, revealed last week, is to build a raised tram stop in the middle of the street.
The $187,000 project, which also includes the construction of a pedestrian crossing, is funded mostly by VicRoads, with the State Government contributing $25,000 and the council less than $5000.
Senior council staff told the Bendigo Weekly this week the project was in the past two budgets, however it is not listed in either document.
Other senior staff, and some councillors, told the Weekly they didn’t know anything about the project and were shocked to see it revealed last week.
Cr Gibbins said the entire council had not been told and he was furious.
“To do a project like this and not have the courtesy to tell councillors what it is all about is bloody insulting,” he said.
“This is costing the ratepayers and taxpayers money and we haven’t even been told about it.
“We are supposed to be running the council and someone is running around doing these sorts of things.”
Cr Gibbins spoke to mayor Rod Campbell about the project and pushed for an urgent motion for construction work to stop so councillors could decide on the plan. His motion was lodged too late for this week’s meeting.
“I had a blue with the mayor about it. He didn’t want me discussing it with council,” Cr Gibbins said.
“Works on the tram stop part of the project should not proceed so councillors can discuss it.”
The only mention of such a project was in March, 2005, when council asked for a series of options for a tram ‘super stop’ on Nolan Street.
The staff were given a year to come back with a report.
“I want to know why we are doing this after five years,” Cr Gibbins said. “Why was a decision made on this without due process?
“Where are the options that were called for five years ago?”
Cr Gibbins said the road was too busy for such a plan.
“We are choking up the road,” he said.
“A lot of money has been spent on doing up Nolan St for the amount of heavy trucks that use it.
“It is a pretty heavy route for semis coming off the highway to go to the eastern side of the city.”
Cr Campbell said the project was discssed at finance committee level as part of the budget negotiations, as a left-over from last year.
“It has always been there, since 2008-09,” he said.
“It was in the budget last year and it was certainly in the budget this year.”
Acting council chief executive officer Prue Mansfield said the tram stop needed to be moved to build the pedestrian crossing for the walking path.
She said the delay was caused by design delays to allow for it to be used by disabled passengers.
