THE prospect of the Bass Coast Shire Council tearing up a relatively good bitumen road, in Reid Street Rhyll, as early as next month, and leaving it as a dust bowl for likely years before a solution could be found was simply too much for the good residents of Reid Street.

They got a petition up in the few short weeks after being advised of the shire’s intentions in a shock letter dated March 7, 2025, and at the 11th hour last Wednesday, stopped the council’s unpopular roadworks in its tracks.

But the battle to save Reid Street’s bitumen seal until a workable solution can be found has not been won.

At last Wednesday’s council meeting, councillors voted to hold off on ripping up Reid Street while a report can be prepared by shire officers to be presented no later than the May 21 council meeting.

So, in theory, councillors could give the bulldozers the go-ahead in little more than a month’s time.

Speaking after Wednesday’s council meeting, resident of Reid Street Pam Doherty said affected property owners were generally pleased with the response from council, to hoild off on ripping up the road surface, but remained concerned that if the road was returned to a gravel surface, it might become a health hazard for a decade before an acceptable solution was found.

“We want to hear what the alternatives are and to be given enough time for the residents to decide what they want to do,” said Mrs Doherty.

“But we find it hard to understand the logic of ripping up the road before a decision is made on what to do next.

“It was sealed in the first place because of the dust problem and since 2005/2007 when it was treated with a dust suppressant seal, the number of people and traffic movements have only increased.

“Reid Street is the second most significant road in Rhyll, after Loch Road, providing an alternative route through the town, with public transport and cruise ship buses regularly using it for access.

“You can’t just rip it up without a plan and timing on what happens next.

“We want council to stop and wait until we can get our heads around what happens next.”

Mrs Doherty acknowledged that the council had other roads in the shire where it was considering removing the dust suppressant seals but she maintains that Reid Street is a completely different proposition to Scenic Drive in Cowes or Queen Street in Wonthaggi.

“I would urge any councillors who haven’t had a look at Reid Street lately to come down and see the situation for themselves.”

Mrs Doherty said she didn’t believe there had been any maintenance of drains in recent times while consideration also needed to be given about what would happen to the adjoining roads, some of which had already been constructed with kerb and channeling.

More to follow