Shetland Heights Road to finally be sealed

WORKS to seal Shetland Heights Road are expected to begin in July and be completed by the end of 2022, after incessant dust has plagued residents for years.

And with the new San Remo Junior Secondary School campus now in use, it is expected there will be an increase in traffic at both Potters Hill and Shetland Heights Roads.

Council has been investigating a road and drainage upgrade for Shetland Heights Road since 2019.

According to council, an independent traffic impact assessment was commissioned to determine the effect of the new school.

The outcome indicated that while primary access at the school will be from Potters Hill Road, particularly for bus traffic, Shetland Heights Road will have an increase from 400 to 560 vehicles per day.

Council had progressed detailed designs so works could commence this year along
the road.

“The detailed design phase of a road project typically includes completing geotechnical, drainage, cultural heritage and vegetation assessments and obtaining the approvals required to inform the civil design plans,” council’s CEO Ali Wastie said.

“We expect the design process, including costings, will be completed in the coming months.

“Shetland Heights Road construction is being supported by the Federal Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program and the project will be completed with a combination of funding from council, Federal Government and developer contributions.

“The Potters Hill Road upgrades outside of the school were funded by the state in response to council advocacy.”

In response, Member for Bass Jordan Crugnale said the sealing of Potters Hill Road was always part of the project’s scope.

“Whilst Potters Hill Road is also a council road, we included sealing up to the school as part of the works in good faith,” she said.

“We have invested $50 million in this wonderful new junior secondary campus which meant both stages were completed for the opening of term 1.”

However, Councillor Rochelle Halstead added that residents had hoped Shetland Heights Road would have been upgraded at the same time as Potters Hill by the state.

“Shetland Heights Road is used for a number of reasons, not just to access the school,” Cr Halstead said.

“Drivers use it as a detour when Phillip Island Road has an issue.

“But the dust has been a real issue for residents, we (council) put signs of 40km/h to keep the dust to a minimum, but it’s been really hard for residents in that area.”

Ms Crugnale said the state government had been “very clear right from the start that any proposed works to Shetland Heights rested with council”.

“It is a local government road and on numerous occasions I strongly encouraged them to seal it and to seek federal funding under their local roads program and look into developer contributions, so I am pleased they finally did,” she said.

The Victorian School Building Authority also provided an analysis indicating that no upgrades will be constructed or are required for the intersection of Potters Hill Road and Phillip Island Road, from the new secondary school.

Cr Halstead said this further disappointed locals, as it was hoped it would have been included in the school project.

“What I’m hearing from residents is that it’s freighting to think you’re going to have school buses and community members utilising that intersection, when it doesn’t have a very good line of sight,” she said.