A Brooklyn company’s appeal against paying its share of a $1.8 million bill to upgrade Bunting Road has been rejected.
The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal heard on February 7 that M&J Developments, one of seven companies that have lodged review applications to be considered later this year, had unsuccessfully argued the rate to seal the road was invalid because of a lack of forewarning from the Brimbank council.
Property owners have been asked to pay between $654 and $364,360 each for the upgrade.
M&J Developments also claimed it bought the land about six months after public notices were first issued.
But VCAT deputy president Mark Dwyer found the council was not at fault, despite failing to notify the company through a second land information certificate.
“A mistake or omission in the later certificate is incapable of affecting the validity of a decision already made,” he said.
The tribunal also heard several business owners had argued they wanted more clarity on the future east-west link before committing to the scheme.
Works to upgrade Bunting Road are expected to total $2.7 million, with the council contributing a third of the cost.
The project is part of a broader program to tackle high levels of dust in the industrial precinct, partly caused by unsealed surfaces.
Last year, council administrator Jane Nathan told the Weekly the scheme would help revitalise Brooklyn.
“The winners will be those sitting on Jones and Bunting roads,” she said.
“It’s a great leap forward for the area.”
