Published: 16 May 2022

The community is being asked to offer up their solutions to the Congo Road north conundrum, with Mayor Mathew Hatcher kicking off an engagement process today.

It follows the deferral of a decision at last week’s Council meeting about next steps for the road, which has been closed to traffic since last December.

Mayor Hatcher has today written to all residents of Congo inviting them to participate, saying the new Council will make a decision about the future of the road, but first councillors want to hear from the community to make sure all potential options are explored.

“We want to work through possible solutions with Congo residents in good faith,” he said, acknowledging it has been a “difficult and divisive” issue in the community, with “no simple solution”.

A short portion of Congo Road north runs through private property and the Council has examined various options to establish the private property link and form a public road. Last week’s report to Council outlined how these were problematic and costly, while suggesting one alternative was to take no further action, leaving Congo Road south – a fully sealed road - as the village’s entry and exit.

Some Congo residents have expressed their wish for the road to remain closed, suggesting the village is improved without extra through-traffic.

Mayor Hatcher said the aim of the engagement was to establish a set of viable options developed with the community and the landowner.

“Council can then evaluate and finally vote on those options,” the Mayor said, “taking full account of the legal and cost implications of whatever options are produced.”

Councillors have developed an engagement process, starting with a request for community members to share their solutions with Council, open from today. These solutions will be reviewed and responses prepared, then shared at a community workshop.

After the workshop, submission makers will have an opportunity to consider and verify Council’s responses and make final feedback. Councillors will then look to make a decision at a Council Meeting.

Mayor Hatcher says while there are lots of pieces to the process, councillors believe this is a good chance to be different and to work with community.

“We are doing things differently and we want to hear from you.”

Submissions are welcome until Sunday 5 June 2022 from anyone with a solution to offer. Email the Mayor with the subject: Congo Road North Solutions.

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