A RIVERLAND council is concerned about potential traffic problems near a $17.2 million school development – after spending almost two years lobbying the State Government to address the soon to be hotspot.
Berri Barmera Council has enlisted Chaffey MP Tim Whetstone to raise its concerns regarding two intersections that will see a significant traffic increase once the Government-run Berri Regional Secondary College opens next year.
During a deputation by Mr Whetstone at last week’s ordinary council meeting, CEO Karyn Burton said the Kay Avenue/Fenwick Road and Fenwick Road/Burgess Drive intersections were “major concerns” for council.
“There are two intersections there that traffic will have to navigate and have difficulties with and there will be buses, parents and students all using it,” she said.
“If it was anybody else doing this development, they would need to address these issues.”
At the meeting, council’s infrastructure services manager Dave Otto de Grancy said council’s concerns had been ignored from the start of the development process.
“We couldn’t make it any clearer from the very first meeting we had about these concerns, and to this point nothing has been considered,” he said.
“We’re talking about kids’ lives at risk.”
Ms Burton told the Murray Pioneer council had raised these concerns with both the Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT) and the Department for Education in 2019 before works had begun.
“At that point we raised concerns about the lack of a traffic study, stormwater problems, car parking, bus turnarounds, joint-use library and the assumption that Glassey Park will be utilised as the school’s open space,” she said.
“We’ve gone through various avenues to try to get heard because we didn’t seem to be getting any traction about the interface issues of the property.
“Eventually when the development application went to the State Commission Assessment Panel, they put a couple of conditions on the development, whereby they had to do the stormwater and fix the bend between Stadium (Road) and Burgess Road, which they are about to embark on.
“They totally ignored the two intersections prior which are going to be just as much of a problem.
“We don’t believe it should be council ratepayers paying for those alterations because it is a State Government development.”
Mr Whetstone told the council he was working to have its concerns addressed.
“After meeting with the CEO and Mayor (Peter Hunt) I took all of the concern on board,” he said.
“I set up a meeting with (Education) Minister (John) Gardner and it was good.
“Before I did that I met with (school principal) Emily Griggs and I had a very long discussion with her and we talked about all the things she had concerns with.”
Ms Burton said she hoped the issues would be acted upon quickly.
“Tim Whetstone promised he was following it up for us,” she said.
“We can only take him on his word, and hopefully we can get some recourse on that soon.”
In a statement, a Department for Education spokesperson said the department and DIT were “in discussion with the Berri Barmera Council about the Glossop High School project and traffic management”.
“These discussions include the upgrade of an intersection at Stadium Drive and Burgess Drive, to be funded by the State Government in accordance with the development approval,” they said.