Public question time Hume City Council 8 July 2024

Public questions at the Monday 8 July meeting of Hume City Council covered Sunbury’s George Evans Museum, heavy trucks using Riddell Rd, and the Dawson St shopping strip in Tullamarine.

Question: How many council infrastructure projects between 2018-2024 have exceeded their budget by more than $100,000?

A: To compile this information across six financial years, spanning two Council terms will take
Council Officers a substantial amount of time.

Via Council’s website Council provides copies of its Quarterly Capital Works Report, Annual Budget and Annual Financial Statements that includes detailed information of expenditure against each project. This information highlights projects completed on budget, over budget and under budget.

Council Officers will reach out to the submitter to further discuss the question and see if it can be further clarified to reduce the workload required.

Question: What projects have exceeded their initial budget by more than $100,000? In the answer supply names and amounts $AUD of each projects over run.

A: As above, Council Officers will reach out to the submitter to further discuss the question
and see if it can be further clarified to reduce the workload required.

Question: Recently, a new fill operation has commenced near the Canterbury Hills Estate, with entry at approximately 430 Riddell Road. Nearly 200 trucks per day are attending this site dumping spoil, soil, and clean fill under the guise of erosion management.

These trucks are utilizing various roads, including Gap Road, Dalrymple Road, Elizabeth Drive, and Phillip Drive. Of particular concern is Phillip Drive, where there is a constant stream of dog and trailer trucks speeding through residential areas, which are designated as 50 km/h zones.

These fully loaded trucks travel above the speed limit past two daycare centres and a primary school. A loaded truck obeying the speed limit can take up to 45m to come to a stop, not taking the hills and bends into consideration. This is a fatality waiting to happen.

Has Hume City council in anyway communicated approval for this facility to operate by way
of email or permit being issued?

A: No approval has been issued for this site. Officers of the Planning Investigations unit are aware of activity as outlined, and the matter is currently being investigated and action will be taken as appropriate. If residents hold concerns about land use or development activity, they can reach out directly to the Planning Investigations team via email on [email protected]

Question: Has a traffic management plan been registered with Hume for this facility?

A: As above, no approval has been issued by Council.

Question: Please enlighten us on exactly what is happening with the George Evans Museum in Sunbury. Will it ever reopen to the public?

A: The former George Evans Museum closed at the time of the development of the Hume
Global Learning Centre Sunbury. (Ed: December 2017)

Council currently has a project underway to enhance community access to the collection via
improved spaces at the Hume Global Learning Centre. This will provide rotating displays of
items from the collection in the main library space. a new storage area on the Lower Ground
Floor, and an area for research.

This project will be completed by December 2024, and is designed to maximise community
connection with these important items of local history.

Council officers are working closely with the George Evans Museum volunteers to support
this important community outcome.

Question: I understand that all donated items are going to be digitalised but what is going to happen with all memorabilia once that is completed?

A: The digitisation of items from the George Evans Museum collection is being
undertaken to support greater access to the collection, regardless of where people
live.

Once digitised, items will continue to remain in the collection as they currently are, and will still be available for display, research and viewing.

Question: Can council please provide an updated ETA as to when the minor upgrade to the Dawson St shopping strip in Tullamarine will take place? Council advised earlier in the year it would be completed by the end of May 2024.

A: In response to community requests, an improvement plan for the installation of seating, planters, new bike hoops and bins at the Dawson Street shops was prepared in April. At that time, it was anticipated that the required items would be sourced from Council’s stock of existing street furniture – hence we advised that installation would occur prior to end of May. Instead, new furniture had to be purchased – with resulting delays.

The installation of the first improvements – a large planter, seating and bike hoops, is scheduled for this week. Installation of new tables and chairs and bin surrounds will occur at the end of July.