READY TO PAY: Riverside residents Ashley Jacobsen, Phil Colquhoun, Rex Mackenzie, Denis Elliott, Cheryl Elliott, Mick Stacey and Don Mackenzie will pay to have their road sealed. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
HINDMARSH Shire Council will cost the road sealing of Riverside at Dimboola.
Councillors discussed the issue at a meeting last week.
The Mail-Times reported on February 20 that people living along Riverside wanted to pay $12,000 to prompt council to seal the road.
The 1.45-kilometre road was graded and rolled in November.
Mayor Rob Gersch said while he appreciated the initiative taken by Riverside residents and their generous offer, council needed to consider other factors.
"Council will speak to the residents as soon as possible," he said.
"Our engineering area will do a full costing on the issue. The project has not been fully costed and this has to be done before any action is taken."
Cr Gersch said there were also other priorities in the Dimboola community.
"If the Riverside job is done, other works may miss out," he said.
"But council appreciated the residents' offer."
Cr Gersch said he was disappointed with residents' claims that council had taken no action.
"Council had only received their letter a few days before the article was published," he said.
"Last week was the first council meeting we had had since council was aware of the issue."
Dimboola Town Committee president Phil Colquhoun, a Riverside resident, said he was unable to comment on the issue because council had not officially notified road users about their plans. Riverside resident Doug Shiells had not heard about council's plan to cost the project before the Mail-Times called him yesterday. But he said he welcomed any news that would lead to something more being done to hopefully seal the road.
"Anything that moves this forward is worthy," he said.
"We often notice people coming with caravans, but they leave when they see it's gravel.
"It's such a nice area here.
"Sealing the road would be better for everyone and the whole town.