Queen Street residents still waiting for long awaited road upgrade
The long-awaited road seal upgrade spanning the section of Queen Street between Merrin Crescent and Broome Crescent is entering its final design stage almost a year after it was approved by Bass Coast Shire Council.
THE long-awaited road upgrade for the lower end of Queen Street in Wonthaggi is finally moving forward despite local residents remaining cautious about the final timeline.
The road seal upgrade spanning the section of Queen Street between Merrin Crescent and Broome Crescent is currently progressing through its final design stage following a successful community petition and funding approval by council.
The project was initiated by local residents who presented a petition to the Bass Coast Shire Council in August last year. The community requested a road seal-only upgrade as an alternative to the council's scheduled removal of the existing dust suppressant seal.
Under the council's Urban Road and Drainage Improvement Policy 2024 (URDI) a cost-sharing arrangement was proposed between the council and the property owners who would benefit from the road upgrade.
Following formal correspondence and contribution schedules sent out in September 2025, affected property owners voted in support of the project. This led to a formal endorsement and approval of construction funding by Bass Coast Shire Council.
Property owners have since finalised their financial contributions, pushing the project into its active pre-construction phase. According to the newly released project timeline, the detailed design phase is expected to be completed by early to mid-October 2026.
The design phase will be immediately followed by the tender and procurement process, scheduled to wrap up between mid-October and November 2026 according to council.
If everything goes according to plan, construction is slated to take place between November and December 2026. However, council has cautioned that these dates remain subject to contractor availability and favourable weather conditions.
With the council decision on a tender not expected until November local resident Peter Carden has expressed scepticism regarding the speed of the rollout.
“We’ll be lucky if it gets completed this year,” said Mr Carden.
Council has claimed the approved upgrade will dramatically improve road safety, accessibility, and visual amenity for the local neighbourhood. Council has also stated that the project will better position the community to withstand extreme weather events and build long-term resilience against the impact of climate change.
