Goulburn Mulwaree councillors break out the Christmas cheer

Christmas cheer was alive and well at Tuesday’s Goulburn Mulwaree Council meeting as councillors met for the last time this year.

It was time to break out the festive gear. In a break from his usual Santa suit, Cr Andrew Banfield sported a specially ordered green Christmas suit, matched with white shoes. Cr Walker donned a large red bow tie and a unique set of ears.

“It’s hard to take someone seriously who’s wearing reindeer ears,” one wag commented during the meeting.

Cr Ferrara wore green tights, matched with a red glitter Christmas dress, tinsel in her hair and ear-rings. 

Nobody could miss Cr Peter Walker in his blue Hawaiian shirt with Santa theme and matching tie. Mayor Bob Kirk also broke out his Christmas tie, as did Cr Denzil Sturgiss.

While Cr Margaret O’Neill did not dress in costume, she wished everyone a happy Christmas and “merry” New Year.

With all that out of the way, it was down to business for one more time in 2017. Meeetings resume in February.

Roads in Goulburn are a “disgrace” and deserve more spent on them, says Cr Margaret O’Neill.

But for Tarago district-based Cr Denzil Stugiss, this year’s maintenance and upgrade budget is only “playing catch-up” on past rural road expenditure.

The comments followed a report to Tuesday night’s council meeting revealing that $4.65 million would be spent on urban roads in 2017/18. This compared with $6,098, 500 on rural thoroughfares, a difference of $1,448,500. The latter included $1.425m in state and federal funds to replace the Nadgigomar crossing near Windellama and improve approaches.

Cr O’Neill demanded to know why there was such a difference.

Operations director Matt O’Rourke replied that councillors had approved the allocation in budget deliberations.

“In the rural area we have 1000km of road whereas in Goulburn there are 200km, so there’s a substantial amount more to maintain,” he said.

But Cr O’Neill insisted Goulburn had been “dudded again.”

“There’s no other word for it,” she told the meeting.

However Mayor Bob Kirk and general manager Warwick Bennett stressed that councillors had previously unanimously agreed on the roads budget. 

Cr Sturgiss had a ready reply for Cr O’Neill.

“I believe as far as rural roads go, we’re only now playing catch-up because we were so far behind,” he said.

Councillors will have a chance to review expenditure early next year when the draft 2018/19 budget is considered.  

The Sanctuary Drive road construction through to River Street ($1m), rehabilitation of Sloane Street from Finlay Road to Braidwood Road ($990,000) and a new roundabout at the Bourke/Verner Street intersection are among the 2017/18 projects for Goulburn.

In the rural area, road widening on Windellama, Range and Gurrundah Roads is planned ($750,000), along with rehabilitation on Oallen Ford and Brayton Roads ($500,000) and construction on Pomeroy and Norwood Roads ($386,000), just to name a few.

Meantime, councillors decided several road material contracts on Tuesday. A $700,000 tender to supply gravel materials was jointly awarded to Goulburn-based Denrith Pty Ltd, Gunlake Quarries at Brayton and Multiquip Aggregates Pty Ltd near Bungonia. 

Cr Andrew Banfield, whose brother-in-law Andy Divall is a director of Denrith, declared a pecuniary interest in the item and left the room during discussion.

A $590,796 contract for asphalt supply on the three Goulburn projects mentioned above was awarded to Unanderra company, Roadworx. 

Cr Banfield has urged the council to think about upgrade works required for Gurrundah Road if Biala wind farm proponent, Newtricity, transport turbines along the thoroughfare.

“I think it’s the most likely route,” he told Tuesday’s meeting.

Planning director Louise Wakefield said she would glean more from a Gullen Range wind farm community consultation committee meeting in Crookwell on Wednesday night and report back to the council.

In November, councillors decided to defer $200,000 in work on Range Road. Instead, it will be spent on rehabilitating a 1km stretch from the Pomeroy/Gurrundah Road intersection back east. 

Council staff found that Gurrundah Road had deteriorated to such an extent it needed $1 million spent to address edge breaks, “shoves” in traffic lanes, potholes, deformed temporary patches, signage and line-marking upgrades. 

“The major pavement problems can be addressed with expenditure of $200,000 over the next few financial years,” business manager operations, Brett Parsons reported.

The staff inspection of the road followed community concerns about the road’s state.

The diversion of funds means that Range Road’s rehabilitation, principally to widen shoulders, will be spread over several financial years. 

A 2.4km stretch instead of 4.8km will be widened in 2017/18, costing $284,000.