By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
ENVIRONMENTAL groups are incensed they were not consulted before Greater Dandenong Council approved plans to bulldoze endangered green wedge vegetation to build the Dingley Bypass.
The council did not publicly advertise VicRoads’ proposal to remove the 0.19-hectare habitat in Westall Road reserve, prior to councillors’ approval on Monday night.
However, in a nod to four environmental groups who got wind of the plan and objected, the council granted third-party rights to objectors if they sought to appeal to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
Mordialloc Beaumaris Conservation League secretary Mary Rimington, one of the objectors, said the groups were uncertain whether to appeal. They were awaiting Kingston Council’s decision on the $156 million, 6.4-kilometre bypass, which straddles Greater Dandenong and Kingston.
The groups — which also include Greater Dandenong Environment Group, Dingley Village Community Association and Kingston Conservation and Environment Coalition — have questioned whether an overpass over the endangered swampy woodland and scrub was fully investigated.
The section, which runs along the west of Westall Road and is in the south-east green wedge, is noticeably tarnished by introduced grasses and weeds such as blackberries and sweet pittosporum.
But Ms Rimington said the remnant vegetation was precious because it had greatly disappeared from the region.
VicRoads claims an overpass would add about $100 million to the project’s cost, impact on neighbouring residents and deprive the vegetation of sunlight and rain.
VicRoads eastern project director Frank De Santis said a preliminary feasibility assessment in 2010 explored a tunnel and overpass option. It found a tunnel would add more than $500 million to the project cost.
He said VicRoads would plant 6000 trees to landscape the project, and would offset any vegetation removal.
But doubt has been cast on VicRoads’ costings. Kingston councillor Rosemary West said VicRoads told a public meeting in recent weeks that the overpass would cost about $20 million.
The figure had since been boosted by new claims that a section of Westall Road would have to be elevated, she said.
Greater Dandenong councillor Matthew Kirwan, who opposed his council’s decision, said there should have been a “formal report” from VicRoads on the overpass option. He said the $100 million “back-of-an-envelope” figure was provided over the phone to council officers.
Greater Dandenong engineering services director Bruce Rendall said VicRoads presented seven options for the bypass route, demonstrating that “appropriate steps” had been taken to minimise damage.
“The council received ecological information on the eighth ‘elevated roadway’ option. This information showed there would be no reduction in impact from the preferred option and a substantial risk of an increased risk.”
Mr Rendall said the council did not advertise the proposal because “no third party will suffer material detriment”.
He said the vegetation was classified as high conservation value, but the state government deemed the project unlikely to have a significant effect on biodiversity.
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