by Sahar Foladi
Greater Dandenong Council has been accused of covering up a lack of transparency over a Keysborough road upgrade that is now drawing safety fears.
The project rebuilds a 850-metre section of Perry Road between Greens Road and Pacific Drive with its stated objective to increase safety and reduce congestion.
But councillor Rhonda Garad called for an immediate halt and an internal inquiry after raising “deeply disturbing” details in a council meeting on Monday 9 October.
This included the council allegedly ignoring a contractor’s recommendation for a slip-lane for traffic to safely access adjoining properties.
Cr Garad said she was falsely reassured by council that consultations had taken place with Gurudwara Sri Guru Granth Sahib temple and Mt Hira College located on Perry Road.
“I was told there had been two years of consultation with the temple. This is incorrect.”
Gurudwara Sri Guru Granth Sahib president Hermail Singh is demanding answers and proof. He denies the council made any contact with the Sikh temple about the works, to which they were unaware of up until August this year.
“They say we’ve had communications of two years. That must’ve been a huge log of conversation, we want that produced.
“That is a big lie.
“For a democratic and multicultural country like Australia, that’s a disgrace on the system.”
The temple claims it found out about the upcoming project after a letter dated 25 July of this year from the contractor, AWS Civil wrote to inform the temple about the upcoming work.
“Trees/vegetations clearing required for the project are expected to begin in mid-August, followed by drainage work starting mid-September,” the letter read.
“The project is expected to complete by September 2024.”
“I just don’t understand how this has happened and how it wasn’t picked up earlier,” Cr Garad said.
“We’re having this conversation now when works have started. It’s very distressing.”
Just like the temple, Mt Hira College states it was not aware of the upgrade. It had neither seen any plans on the works, nor been communicated with by the council.
Both Mr Singh and Mt Hira College business manager, Muhammad Ali Choudhry say they’re all for upgrades, but necessary road safety measures were necessary.
According to Mr Singh if this upgrade goes ahead without a slip lane and a footpath allowing a safe entry into the temple, there will be massive road safety concerns.
“We have a lot of people coming to the temple who use public transport and they have to stop before the Greens Road intersection and walk on the grass on the side of the road. It’s very unsafe.”
The temple and school is surrounded by industrial sites and share the 80km/h single lane road with semi-trailers.
Gurudwara Sri Guru Granth Sahib serves an extraordinary 500 people daily from the community in a langar, a communal meal for not just Sikhs but visitors from all backgrounds and religions.
The langar is from 5am to 9pm every day with over 2,000 served over the weekend.
Currently, temple goers are forced to make a hard right-turn off Perry Road to enter the temple site, Mr Singh says.
“We already get a lot of honking. As a single lane, drivers get upset sometimes and we can’t imagine how much worse it can get post-construction.
“Right now, it’s easier with a single lane considering we don’t have any footpath, or bus lanes but if the road upgrade will see a double lane, it makes it much worse.”
According to Cr Garad AWS,”tried to advocate on behalf of the temple” and approached the council to recommend a slip lane to make the road safer.
“The council came back saying they’ll be fine, they don’t need it,” Mr Singh said.
According to Cr Garad, the contractors were shocked at the council’s response.
After endless failed attempts to be in touch with the council to get some answers, the temple representatives reached out to Mordialloc MP Tim Richardson’s office.
To their utter disbelief and shock, the council told Mr Richardson’s office that the temple had commissioned their own traffic analyses with the outcome that no slip lane is necessary.
“I thought, that’s me. I’ve never done that. That letter is the first time I’ve heard about the works,” Mr Singh said.
“They must prove it somehow and I’m not sure how they’ll do it or why they thought it was a good idea.
“The great City of Greater Dandenong promote multiculturalism, so we are very disappointed with Council itself,” he said.
“To know a place of worship to be left out, that’s one thing, but to be lied about is another matter.”
Councillor Garad has been in touch with the temple since she received a call from Mr Richardson’s office on the matter. She says the council needs to improve its transparency.
“It has made me question other major projects, how they’re being managed and consulted with the community.
“I’ve called for a dashboard where people can see where works are at and details on consultation.
“We can’t rely on the council to be honest with us. We need a way to monitor works digitally.”
The Perry Road upgrade will include road pavement reconstruction, widening, drainage, streetlights, shared user paths and landscaping according to the council’s webpage.
The council hasn’t published any plans for the proposed works, no timeline of the consultation, or engagement with residents but instead listed that stage-one construction was due to commence September 2023.
“Completing this project Council expects to have a safer road environment for motorists, pedestrians, residents, and businesses alike,” the webpage stated.
Council’s chief executive officer, Jacqui Weatherill told Cr Garad she’ll be calling on various people to find out what’s happened.
Now Cr Garad has made it her mission to ensure the project is carried out appropriately with the key bodies to reach an agreed outcome as well as an internal investigation within the Council.
“There must be an internal investigation into where the accountability lies and who’s responsible.
“Disciplinary action should be taken.”
Greater Dandenong Council did not respond before deadline.
