Threatened shire backflip leaves dangerous road crossing in play

A FARMING family at Koorooman, 9km east of Leongatha, looks like being left in the lurch if the South Gippsland Shire Council has a change of heart about their cattle underpass plans.

At issue is a recommendation, before the council on Wednesday this week, July 20, not to proceed with the sale of shire-owned land at 630 Mardan Road Koorooman to facilitate the underpass because it believes the farmers can install an underpass between their own paddocks on opposite sides of the road.

Warren and Rhonda Lester, owners of 631 and 570 Mardan Road wish to buy the council-owned block and install an underpass between it and their land at 631 Mardan Road in order to avoid the hazardous movement of stock between their properties across an increasingly busy road.

Councillors voted back in February to commence the statutory process of selling the land to the Lesters and give public notice of the proposal inviting written submissions from the community.

This sparked a flurry of submissions, 21 of which supported the proposal, while six others objected to it. 

Supporters pointed to significant risks to Warren, Rhonda and other family members in getting stock across a busy road with a 100 kilometre per hour speed limit.

Margo Campbell made a submission saying she has lived in the area concerned all her life and has noticed an “enormous increase in traffic” and supports the Lester family’s intention to install the underpass for the safety of their family and others using the road.

Warren and Rhonda’s neighbour Charlie Le Page was another to stress safety concerns.

“I have lived next to the Lesters for the past 16 years and have watched Warren and Rhonda and their three daughters regularly endanger not only their own lives but the lives of their stock and motorists on a dangerous section of the very busy Mardan Road,” he wrote.

Many submissions of support referred to the lack of visibility for motorists coming around the corner as they approach the point where the Lesters’ animals currently cross the road.

As well as wishing to situate one end of the cattle underpass at 630 Mardan Road, Warren wants to use the block to create a safe tractor-crossing point.

Currently having to cross Mardan Road from Lesters Road provides limited visibility in both directions due to the close proximity of bends on Mardan Road.

While council officers have indicated there is potential to run a cattle underpass directly between the Lesters’ properties on either side of Mardan Road, council documentation concedes “This would not resolve the tractor crossing (issue)”.

Objectors view the 630 Mardan Road block as a treasured piece of woodland and wildlife habitat, nicknamed ‘Watson’s Park’.

One of them is Warren’s cousin Dick Lester, a former South Gippsland Shire councillor and nursery owner who was raised on the family farm, now owned by Warren and Rhonda and situated across Lesters Road from ‘Watson’s Park’.

The late Gordon Watson planted trees, both deciduous and native, on the council-owned site which adjoined the farm he owned with wife Linda, with Dick saying he has continued Gordon’s habit of planting trees in ‘Watson’s Park’.

Wendy McIndoe and husband Craig own the farm that belonged to the Watsons.

Having lived there for 36 years, they feel a strong connection to ‘Watson’s Park’ and are keen to maintain Gordon’s legacy.
In their submission against the sale of the land to the Lesters, the McIndoes suggested they buy 630 Mardan Road from council to provide revenue for more urgent council projects.

The McIndoes would then be in a position to preserve ‘Watson’s Park’.

Warren also mounted his case for wanting to purchase 630 Mardan Road.

“It’s the only practical solution for us to get an underpass,” he said, explaining that to construct the underpass anywhere else would require it to be much longer than would usually be the case and that the 630 Mardan Road site would enable the most direct route to be taken.

However, the advice now put to councillors is, “That council does not proceed to sell 630 Mardan Road Koorooman for the purposes of a cattle underpass as it is possible for the proponent to install an underpass directly via their own property.”
“It is possible to place an underpass directly from the Lesters property in two separate positions,” Council’s July meeting agenda states.
Warren and Rhonda argue those proposed crossing points are impractical because one would require the underpass to run on an angle and the other would necessitate it being extended to run under crown land to reach their property.
Councillors Sarah Gilligan, Mick Felton, Nathan Hersey and Jenni Keerie have previously expressed support for the sale of the council land to the Lesters, saying that the construction of the underpass would boost safety and convenience for road users.
Nobody has disputed the need for an underpass or the danger of getting cattle across Mardan Road, with objectors arguing the underpass should go directly between Warren and Rhonda’s properties despite the significantly longer distance that would require.