NOT that I’m biased towards the Mildura Wetlands Ward but…
It was so exciting this week when after years of lobbying by many different stakeholders we finally secured the funding for vital safety upgrades at the intersection of Deakin Avenue and Sixteenth Street.
It shows what can be achieved when the community applies sustained pressure on issues that matter.
The outcome will save lives.
But obviously, this was only one piece of the puzzle for Mildura South.
Much more needs to be done to ensure the flow of traffic is managed and regulated in a way that promotes safety for families and efficiency for freight.
That part of Mildura certainly won’t be getting quieter anytime soon (or ever) with thousands more houses slated to be built in the coming years and new supporting infrastructure developing at a rapid rate.
It’s exciting. But it’s also hard.
Residents in the area are understandably nervous about being in the epicentre of Mildura’s growth corridor.
Yes, it’s amazing to have a world class sporting precinct in your backyard. But it’s also hard trying to navigate the bottleneck of traffic during big events.
It’s great to be five minutes from the airport, but it’s hard living so close to a major highway which was simply not designed for the volume and type of traffic that exists today.
There were no road trains in the 1960s. But now there are many. And they are speeding past a primary school and soon-to-be opened kinder.
As Deputy Mayor, portfolio councillor for assets and infrastructure, and councillor for Mildura Wetlands Ward, securing funding for traffic lights at the intersection of Deakin and Sixteenth Street was certainly not the only thing on my wish list for Mildura South.
Over the coming months, councillors will be taking a much closer look at our overarching strategy for roads and transportation.
The goal is to develop a strategy that will provide all tiers of government with clear guidance on what we need and why.
With luck – and good management – the funding will flow, our community will be safer, and our economy will reap the benefits.
Cr Ali Cupper
Deputy Mayor
Mildura Rural City Council
