Murray Bridge council watch: June 2020
On the agenda this month: improving safety at two Brinkley intersections, advisory group members wanted, a housing subdivision moves ahead, a Flagstaff Road wish-list and a muddy lane near Kanmantoo.
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Two Brinkley intersections to be made safer
The Murray Bridge council will rebuild two intersections on Hoadville Road at Brinkley due to safety concerns.
At their June meeting, councillors voted to act on concerns raised by engineering consultants Tonkin as part of two major road-building projects in the area: the sealing of Hoadville Road, planned for the second half of this year, and the recent re-sealing of nearby Jarvis Road.
The curved T-junction where the two roads meet will be straightened out to improve sight lines.
The Y-shaped intersection of Hoadville Road and Flagstaff Road will be changed into a traditional T-junction.
Funding for the works will come out of the federal government's Drought Communities Program; the council will only spend about $37,000 on land acquisition, surveying, conveyancing and fencing.
Councillor Wayne Thorley described the proposed road works as "a solution to a dangerous problem".
Influence council decisions without getting elected
Eight community members are wanted for a group which helps the council decide which local groups get grant funding, among other matters.
The community advisory committee also makes recommendations on the arts, history, safety, recreation, tourism, youth and multiculturalism.
Membership is voluntary, and consists of seven general members, one youth member and two councillors.
Councillor Airlie Keen encouraged the current members to reapply as well, and particularly chair Don Watts: "he has done an exceptional job in that role".
- More information: murraybridge.sa.gov.au.
Housing subdivision moves ahead
The council has approved a second stage of land division at the Riverpark housing development at Long Flat.
Nine new one-hectare allotments will be created on a new road to be called Aurora Drive, which will come off Queen Louisa Drive.
The first stage of development included about 38 smaller lots.
- More information: www.riverparksa.com.au.
Flagstaff Road needs $1.2 million worth of work
Flagstaff Road at Brinkley needs improvement, councillors and Mayor Brenton Lewis have agreed.
Councillor Andrew Baltensperger described the road as "untidy, unsafe and unstable".
But the biggest problem with it was the speed limit, Mr Lewis suggested, considering how much traffic crowded the road at certain times.
"What you see at certain times of day is a couple of hundred workers finish work at the processing plant and head into Murray Bridge," he said.
"At the same time you've got B-double trucks taking grain into the two feed mills, or taking pellets out."
The Murraylands and Riverland Local Government Association recently listed the road among seven across the region in need of major investment – in this case almost $1.2 million.
However, delegates from the region's councils ranked four roads as higher priorities.
Lane at Callington to be closed when wet
"Dry weather only" signage will be erected on Woolpark Lane at Rockleigh after residents grew tired of digging bogged vehicles out of the mud.
The road, three kilometres west of Kanmantoo, existed only as a last resort for shifting machinery, the Murray Bridge council's city assets manager reported.
Local farmers had had to rescue bogged motorists on several recent occasions, further damaging the already rutted road.
Councillor Airlie Keen had raised the issue in December.
Concept images: Rural City of Murray Bridge.
