A PETITION has called on the Mornington Peninsula Shire to extend dust-suppression on unsealed roads near St John’s Anglican Church in Flinders, citing parking and heavier traffic on church event days.
The petition, signed by 12 residents, was presented at the shire’s 2 December meeting, with a request that the dust-suppression treatment be extended to cross over Stokes St to the end of Barker St.
Council responded, noting that unsealed roads must meet strict criteria to be included in the shire-funded dust suppression program.
This included considering “significant average traffic volumes,” “proximity or access to Mornington Peninsula Shire community facilities,” “road classification”, and environmental considerations”.
In the case of Barker St council said traffic levels appeared to spike only during short-term events.
“Increases in traffic volumes appear to occur only for short periods, presumably during the Christmas holidays and private events. As a result, the average traffic data may not reflect these peak periods,” the statement said.
Because of this, council advised it is “unlikely that this section of Barker St will meet the selection criteria in future assessments and is therefore unlikely to be included in future Shire-funded programs.”
However, the shire has agreed to make a small extension to the existing treatment zone.
“As a gesture of goodwill, the shire has agreed to include an additional 50 metres along the road reserve of Barker St (from Stokes St) to maximise the benefit for the two residential properties that have committed to the Resident Funded Dust Suppression Program,” council said.
Council added that “considering the overall cost of treatment, it would be difficult to justify including any additional sections of road, as they do not meet the required criteria.”
The matter is being overseen by the shire’s infrastructure services manager.
First published in the Mornington News – 9 December 2025
