Rhyll says no to trail

A PACKED community meeting in the Rhyll Hall last Tuesday gave a very clear indication that the community are against the Council’s proposed shared use path through Rhyll, with residents calling upon council to abandon the current plan and proceed with a headland trail. 

Details of the proposed concrete path through the village and an alternative gravel path around the Rhyll Headland were in discussion. 

The meeting was organised by the Rhyll Community Association, Rhyll Coast Action and the Rhyll Park and Hall Committee. 

Rhyll resident Peter Balfe presented the comparison of costs and benefits on the Council’s proposal (2.5m concrete path through Rhyll) and the headland trail (2.5m gravel path around the headland). 

Jim Kiley of the Rhyll Community Association said Peter spent three years at VicRoads as their major projects director and then seven years as the deputy chief executive.

Peter provided the community with an assessment on the project, inviting the three island ward councillors, but only Cr Ronnie Bauer was in attendance and Cr Rooks discussed the community concerns at an earlier meeting. 

The Council’s proposal involved construction of a new concrete path through the protected native vegetation and trees alongside McIlwraith Road, crossing Reid Street and constructing a concrete path down to the Rhyll Park; replacing the existing gravel path through the park with a 2.5 m wide concrete path which would deviate to go through to Molton Street alongside the children’s playground, then crossing Lock Road and widening the existing concrete footpath to 2.5 metres down to Beach Road. 

The community associations were very critical of the Council’s lack of community consultation about the proposal, which appeared to have no mandate. 

“No one knew who had proposed the route.”

The meeting also expressed concern about the apparent lack of any analysis of the project benefits and costs. 

Council’s estimate for the proposed works is $450,000 compared to less than $175,000 for the headland trail. 

“A shared path through local streets could never be sold as a tourist attractor, whilst the headland trail could become a significant attraction,” said Jim. 

Peter presented the residents with a criterion that identifies that the council’s proposed route was shown to have a much higher carbon footprint and negative impacts on the significant roadside vegetation and trees in McIlwraith Road, and the amenity and use of the park and the children’s playground.

“It would also pose unacceptable risks to the safety of cyclists and pedestrians at the four road crossings, and crossings at 17 property access entrances with poor sight distance,” said Jim. 

Residents were particularly concerned about the safety of older pedestrians who need to use the Lock Road footpath, and the prospect of months of construction noise and traffic disruption in the village. 

On the other hand, it was demonstrated that the headline trail would have no negative environmental impacts and no road or property access crossings. 

Presenting that the trail would in fact eliminate a major safety issue for pedestrians who currently can only use a steep narrow section of Beach Road to climb the hill next to the Yacht Club – addressing the concern of parents walking up this hill with prams. 

The meeting resolved to notify Council that the community objected to a lack of consultation and ‘call on the council to abandon the current plans and bring forward construction of the headland trail instead of wasting $450,000 on a project that the community did not want.’ 

At the end of the presentation, the Rhyll community voted in favour of objecting to a concrete footpath through the heavily treed McIlwraith Road plantation and the protected sedges and native grasses. 

They objected to a 2.5m concrete path through to Rhyll Park and proposed deviation of the path adjacent to the children’s playground. 

All of the Rhyll residents in attendance carried the motion that, ‘the meeting request the council to review the priority of a 2.5m gravel path around the Rhyll headland consistent with Council’s PIITS 2014 and consult with the community regarding design and construction of the path.’ 

Cr Ronnie Bauer spoke on behalf of council stating that he would take this community proposal to his fellow councillors to address their concerns and communicate with them accordingly. 

The Sentinel Times are yet to receive a response from the Bass Coast Shire Council regarding details of community consultation on the project.