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WIMMERA farmers have urged VicRoads to reconsider Horsham bypass route 5a ahead of panel hearings next week.
McKenzie Creek farmer Neville McIntyre said farmers asked him to help get the route – which bypasses the city to the south-west – back on the table because it had a far lesser effect on farming than proposed options B2 and D.
Mr McIntyre said 5a could be completed for a fraction of the cost of the other two options, which bypass Horsham to the north-east.
“This is the most obvious, practical, shortest and lowest-cost route. Common sense says it is the only route that should be considered,” he said. “Option 5a impacts the least amount of farmers.
“This route does not need rail overpasses, and addresses the VicRoads study group’s main objective to keep the bypass as close to Horsham as possible to enable the travelling public easy access to Horsham’s accommodation, restaurants and retail outlets.
“There would be no drainage or floodplain issues.
“Henty Highway traffic would not have to stop at the junction, and it would give Horsham West residents a much-needed second bridge.”
Horsham farmer Tom Blair has backed the call.
He said trucks in and out of Horsham’s industrial estate – used by hundreds of farmers – were an important consideration, and option 5a provided a link to the estate.
“With options B2 and D, why would you go through floodplains, cross the railway twice and go close to the airport?” he said.
“Option 5a should be seriously considered instead of B2, D or 2.”
Option 2 – advocated by One Horsham Bypass Group – leaves the Western Highway at Dock Lake reserve and Green Lake to the south-east of Horsham and bypasses Pimpinio to the north-west.
Victorian Farmers Federation vice-president and Murra Warra farmer David Jochinke said the group did not have a preferred route, but was concerned about the information VicRoads had based route preferences on.
“We believe there hasn’t been accurate information presented as part of the process,” he said.
“We want any decision to be made with the best information possible and with the best intent for the town.
“It is not my role to tell people how to do their jobs, but it is my job to make sure process and procedure are followed.”
Bypass hearings will start on Monday, where people who made submissions as part of the planning scheme amendment process can state their case to an independent panel.
Mr Jochinke will front the panel on behalf of the federation on November 6.