Council moves forward with road reconstruction projects

Published on 28 February 2025

At this week’s Council meeting, a tender was awarded to Ontrack Civil Earthworks for the reconstruction of approximately 1.9 kilometres of Dean-Newlyn Road in Newlyn. 

Mayor, Cr Don Henderson, said that Council is committed to maintaining and upgrading its road network to enhance safety and accessibility for the community.  

“With the roadworks in Newlyn, Council aims to deliver long-term benefits to the community and ensure that our infrastructure is future proofed for years to come. The proposed reconstruction will deliver essential improvements to our road network,” said Cr Don Henderson. 

Council completed a Shire-wide detailed condition audit of its road network in 2023, providing valuable insight into the state of local infrastructure and helping to identify key priorities for intervention, including road reconstruction and resurfacing works in both township and rural areas. 

As part of this process, a number of sections of Dean-Newlyn Road were identified for upgrade. The first section, Stage 1, is included in the 2024/25 Capital Works Program, while Stages 2 and 3 were designed for future consideration. 

In addition to the Dean-Newlyn Road reconstruction, another major infrastructure project, Chanters Lane at Fern Hill, was initially set to be funded by the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure program as part of the 2024/25 program. This grant requires project completion by June 30, 2025. However, there have been delays in the construction of Chanters Lane in order to meet Cultural Heritage Assessment requirements which will mean that the works will not be able to be delivered within this financial year and, as such, will be incorporated into the 2025/26 Capital Works Program.  

“With no possibility of extending the grant funding for Chanters Lane, Council has proactively identified that bringing forward Stage 2 of the Dean-Newlyn Road reconstruction is a good alternative to ensure funding is used before the grant deadline.”  

“Stage 1 and 2 of the Dean-Newlyn Road reconstruction can now proceed. This will ensure that the necessary road improvements are completed promptly while also maximising the use of available funding,” said Cr Don Henderson. 

It is anticipated that reconstruction will commence in late March.