MITCHELL Shire Council’s mayor and CEO have vowed to immediately eliminate several proposed traffic routes in the Kilmore Traffic Study after residents’ outcry at a public meeting.

Around 200 local residents attended the Kilmore Library last Tuesday to hear a summary of the desktop study, carried out by the consultant company formerly known as Maunsell.

At the meeting, residents accused council of spending “20 years or so” planning for better traffic management and infrastructure in the Kilmore township, without results.

The greatest concerns raised were for the presence of heavy vehicles in local streets and in particular the schools precinct which, under one of the study’s proposals, would have greater numbers of and larger vehicles travelling through its already badly-planned streets.

Residents also held that proposals in the study should not be taken any further until issues surrounding a Wallan Kilmore bypass were resolved and demanded that council summon Roads Minister Tim Pallas to Kilmore for a community consultation.

One of the most puzzling points raised in the study was the contention by the consultants that a significant portion of the Kilmore Golf Club’s back nine was “mostly undeveloped land”.

The report proposed an “extension of East St … from Foote St to Rutledge St, intersecting where Ryans Rd currently intersects with Rutledge St. This would run through mostly undeveloped land adjacent to the golf course.”

Club president Graham Vine said he was highly disappointed with the lack of consultation with the club on the traffic study and the apparent failure of councillors to read and recognise the error in the report.