THE Department of Transport has issued an immediate halt to works at a River Road, Horsham bus stop amid frustrations from the resident whose property it would be in front of.
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The ordeal has left River Road resident Wendy Aston's plans to build her dream home on the block "in limbo", while requests for the bus stop to be located in front of the popular Horsham Church of Christ - which is 70 metres south from Ms Aston's property - have been ignored.
After receiving three parking tickets from Horsham Rural City Council, Ms Aston expected her car would be towed from outside the front of her property on Friday.
Ms Aston said she had parked her car on-and-off in front of the vacant block since Christmas.
She has a planning permit application to build a home on the block. The plan is under consideration by the council.
However, Ms Aston said if the bus stop went ahead she would have the entire 20 metre frontage of her property blocked by a 30 metre bus stop clearance zone.
After spending hours waiting for Ms Aston's car to be towed on Friday, Member for Lowan Emma Kealy received a call from Minister for Public Transport Melissa Horne advising her that works on the site were to be ceased while Public Transport Victoria looked into the location of the bus stop.
"It's just great to have a toe in the door. Council have said they will not issue any more fines to Ms Aston and would review the fines that had been issued," Ms Kealy said.
Ms Kealy said the Department of Transport told Ms Aston on Thursday that her car would be towed at 8am on Friday. She was then told on Thursday evening that the decision to move Ms Aston's car had been revoked.
Both Ms Kealy and Ms Aston sent email correspondence and phoned the Minister for Public Transport seeking intervention on the bus stop relocation on Friday morning.
Ms Kealy said Horsham council chief executive Sunil Bhalla contacted her saying Ms Aston's car would be towed that afternoon.
Mr Bhalla responded to questions from the Mail-Times on Friday before the work cessation notice was released by the Department.
"We have been in contact with Department of Transport Officers again today and we are trying to work through a solution that satisfies the requirements of the Department and also addresses Ms Aston's concerns," he said.
"We have advocated previously to the Department on behalf of Ms Aston and will continue to do so."
The council did not respond to questions about whether Ms Aston's vehicle was to be towed.
Ms Aston said the council was trying to help initially but that correspondence had since 'gone pear-shaped'.
She was told the site was being considered as a bus stop location in a letter from the Department in September.
"I was given one date to express my concerns with Public Transport Victoria on site but I was away in India," she said.
When she returned from India in the middle of October, Ms Aston requested a consultation but said she was told it was too late.
Ms Aston said she asked PTV for its correspondence with council about the decision making process but the information was heavily redacted.
"In part of those emails was the original location of the bus stop. When PTV designed everything it was actually meant to be north (of my block)," she said.
"Then there was a submission from Wimmera Roadways that they had to alter the bus stop."
Ms Aston said she found the information "odd" so she contacted Wimmera Roadways which told her the changes were made because of a non-compliant roundabout that would affect the route.
Ms Kealy said Simon Risson from Horsham Church of Christ had written a letter to the Ms Horne asking for the bus stop to be located in front of the church's building.
"I would say they have the largest congregation in town. They want the bus stop," Ms Kealy said.
Ms Kealy said the Department had been pressuring Horsham council to tow Ms Aston's vehicle.
"They're not providing any feedback. They haven't responded to Wendy's concerns, they haven't responded to Simon Risson. It's all by stealth that they've made this decision," she said.
"There's enough evidence around that they're not listening."
The Mail-Times has contacted Minister for Public Transport Melissa Horne for comment but didn't receive a reply before deadline.
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