REMOVING trucks from travelling through the centre of Horsham, improving public transport and more car parking are key transport priorities for residents, a new council report reveals.
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Residents can have their say on the municipality's transport priorities after Horsham Rural City Council released its draft Horsham Urban Transport Plan for community consultation.
The plan comes under the banner of Transforming Horsham, which also includes the Open Space Strategy, Horsham South Structure Plan and the City to River masterplan.
The council's key objectives for the transport plan include removing trucks from the city centre and river precinct; more river crossings; linking highways to economic activities; and preference for the use of existing road reserves for future development of local and arterial roads.
The council has also released the plan's engagement outcomes report, revealing the key transport priorities residents have identified.
Community consultation, including workshops and a survey of 167 people, developed the engagement report.
Respondents identified reducing heavy vehicle traffic through the Horsham Central Activity District as the top priority to improve transport, movement and accessibility in Horsham in the next 20 years.
New road links, river crossings and/or a bypass were also suggested as ways to improve movement and access for car and heavy vehicle traffic.
Other key priorities included improving public transport service frequency and connectivity; creating additional car parking capacity; improving look and function of streets; and improving road network connectivity.
Read the full report below
Councillors unanimously agreed, at the council's September meeting on Monday, to place the draft plan on public exhibition.
Cr David Grimble called for the public exhibition period to extend to 10 weeks, instead of the proposed six-week period. He also asked that the council "received and noted" the report rather than "endorse" it, as was the officer's recommendation, to ensure impartiality.
"The next stage of the report is to seek community feedback, so it is my view that we should just put out there and ask the community what they think," he said.
He said he was disappointed the report didn't address the Horsham Rail Corridor.
"Another thing I picked up were the excessive suggested river crossings. I don't think we can justify funding crossings at Hamilton Street, Bennett Road and Drummond Street. We've got to be realistic and identify one strategically placed river crossing as our priority," he said.
Cr John Robinson said he was disappointed the report still noted a preference to using existing arterial roads.
"It's quite a limiting statement and we shouldn't confine ourselves. We should let the community tell us what they think," he said.
Cr Les Power raised a concern that the report wouldn't return to the council until next year if the community consultation period was extended to 10 weeks.
Cr Pam Clarke said she agreed with the report's suggestion to remove trucks from Wilson Street.
Mayor Mark Radford said the plan would provide a blueprint of what Horsham city could look like in 20 years.
The draft plan and a feedback report are available on the council's website and at the council's offices until December 9.
Three other plans make up the council's Transforming Horsham project.
The Open Space Strategy will determine priorities for the planning, provision and development of open space across the municipality.
The Horsham South Structure Plan will provide a vision for Horsham south of the river, with consultation for the plan starting soon.
The City to River masterplan will aim to improve, revitalise and link Horsham's Central Activity District and the Wimmera Riverfront Precinct.
Community consultation for the Open Space Strategy and City to River masterplan closed last month.
READ MORE:
Read Horsham council's full September 2019 agenda below
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