IMPACT Route Update
Published on 15 December 2023
Mansfield Shire Council’s $12.3 million IMPACT Route (Integrating Mansfield’s Productivity, Agricultural Communities and Tourism) project continues to progress with the delivery of key milestones on each of the project’s four stages.
Construction work commenced in September, with gravel resheeting works completed by Council’s Field Services team on Chapel Hill Road. This month Council will release a construction tender to build the next stage of the IMPACT Route, which includes the upgrade of about 1,400 metres of Highton Lane with new kerbs, stormwater infrastructure and footpaths.
To provide an opportunity to see the final plans for Highton Lane and confirm the final design components to be delivered in this stage of the project, Council will arrange another community consultation forum on the Highton Lane design in late January 2024.
On Wednesday 13 December 2023 Council held a well-attended community consultation forum on conceptual designs for IMPACT Stage 2, the upgrade and sealing of the unsealed sections of Rifle Butts Road.
Mayor Cr Steve Rabie said that Council wants to understand community needs for each IMPACT project stage while keeping residents informed about the project’s progress.
“We’ve been really happy with the community response and feedback obtained from the consultations sessions on the upgrading of Highton Lane and Rifle Butts Road,” he said.
“This feedback is vital and is being used to make sure these projects deliver what our community needs - the upgrade of these roads is something our community has been looking for, for a long time”.
“At the recent Rifle Butts Road forum residents mentioned they have been waiting over 20 years, so we are very happy to have received the funding from the Commonwealth that has made this possible, together with $1.3 million of development contributions from Highton Lane subdivisions.”
“Residents were also happy to see the conceptual designs to widen the one-lane culvert on Rifle Butts Road near the intersection with Ogilvies Road to two lanes, and designs for improvements to the Highton Lane, Rifle Butts Road and Monkey Gully Road intersection.”
The next stage of the upgrade on Chapel Hill Road, will involve Council awarding a contract early next year for design of a new culvert crossing of Lanky Creek. Between February and April next year Council will continue with further upgrades to the road surface, drainage and culverts on Chapel Hill Road between the Hearns Road and Mt Buller Road intersections.
For IMPACT Stage 4, the upgrade of the Delatite River bridge on Chapel Hill Road, Council will receive bridge assessment and proposed upgrade design reports in January 2024 and then begin to plan the delivery of bridge improvements.
“As we have done for the first stages, Council will also conduct community consultation forums on the Chapel Hill Road plans”, added Cr Rabie.
The IMPACT Route project is jointly funded by the Federal Government and Mansfield Shire Council, including development contributions of $1.3m.