RESIDENTS of Cockatoo Road, Tumut, appear to be closer to finding a solution as to who will repair and maintain their ‘corridor’ road following discussions with Humelink representatives last week.
Meeting at the site last Wednesday an initial inspection of the road took place, along with discussions between the majority of the residents living along it and the representatives.
A spokesperson for Humelink and Transgrid’s delivery partner (HumeLink East: ACCIONA and GenusPlus Joint Venture HumeLink West) for the eastern section of HumeLink met with residents of Cockatoo Road, Tumut last Wednesday (5 March).
The representative team heard residents’ concerns about safety, the environment and road conditions, and discussed examples of how roads are upgraded and maintained to a level that can be used by construction vehicles.
Transgrid’s delivery partner will schedule a road survey in coming weeks to determine road work requirements.
The spokesperson said, “Transgrid thanks residents for their input as the project works to implement measures to reduce impacts and address residents’ concerns. Our delivery partner will keep residents informed of any developments.”
Speaking on behalf of the residents, Debbie Sturt said the meeting was positive and the full situation was given to Transgrid representatives.
Ms Sturt said it was a good meeting and she believed it was the first time that the residents had been fully heard and given the chance to put their concerns across.
Part of the conversation centred around construction [of the power lines] and the process that will take place.
Although none of the eight residents on the north side of Cockatoo Road will have power towers on their property, they will be impacted as the line of towers will run closely behind their boundaries and will be in view.
Transgrid said the plan for the road was to leave it fairly much the same width but will have ‘lay offs’ (side parking bays) along the road to allow for passing vehicles. The road will be upgraded prior to construction vehicles using it.
However, the planned lay-offs will impact on the land now under grazing lease from Crown Lands for John and Jenny Forster – that issue is yet to be resolved.
Ms Sturt said Transgrid have agreed to come and hold further inspections of the road, look at installing culverts where needed and keep residents informed.
“It was really good talking with these representatives, it was a good, healthy get-together and a lot of questions were put forward – and we got answers,” she said.
“At least now we are in the light after being kept in the dark for so long.”
Residents believe Cockatoo Road will be fixed and be better than before and will be maintained into the future.
“Hopefully at the end of this construction phase Snowy Valleys Council will take on the continuing maintenance – that is the aim, but that will require further discussions,” Ms Sturt said.
Recently residents impacted by the expected increase in traffic along this road (up to 80 vehicles per day) met with SVC mayor Julia Ham for discussions on who actually owns, controls and maintains what has been described as a ‘corridor’.
There was confusing debate as to who was actually responsible – up to six of the landholders have on their titles that the property owners were responsible, while on the south side of the road, the Forsters pay an annual lease for the rites to graze this laneway to Crown Lands.
It was believed that Crown Lands had handed over control of Cockatoo Road to Snowy Valleys Council, while SVC believe it is a ‘private’ road according to some records going back to when the land was subdivided in 1999.
Mayor Ham, at the February meeting of Council, declared that Cockatoo Road was ‘private’ – therefore leaving the impacted residents to hold further negotiations with Humelink and Transgrid.
