Revised roadworks process will ensure ‘considerate’ works and better communication: mayor Glenn Wilson

Roadworks in Kalgoorlie-Boulder will be more “considerate” and staff more communicative following the fallout from the Burt Street fiasco which disrupted local traders and shoppers during the Christmas trade period. The Kalgoorlie-Boulder council this month endorsed a revised Sealed Road Program Delivery and Engagement Framework and improved engagement models implemented by the city. Mayor Glenn Wilson said the improvements were a result of community frustrations at the way the program was conducted during Christmas, and he thanked the city’s engineering team for taking ownership and accountability while working on better ways forward. “The work that council staff have done in terms of improving how we go about our projects and communication and stakeholder engagement has been quite extensive,” he said. “It’s a very operational piece, but council at the end of the day want to make sure that our community are being listened to.” He said the new processes would ensure road work programs were “more considerate and more communicative” with the community. The revised framework and engagement models, highlighted in a report tabled at the May 19 council meeting, included recommendations such as the creation of a public liaison officer, public and commercial evaluation, and weekly traffic impact reports. Cr Nardia Turner, who moved the motion, said it was “admirable” to see the city’s director of engineering “take it on the chin” and strive for improvements in the process. “They put a lot of work into improving our processes because . . . we didn’t get some things right and all we can do is take feedback on board and improve,” she said. “We spend a lot of money on our roadworks and we don’t spend the money to get it wrong, we spend the money to get it right.” Cr Terrence Winner said the review set a standard the community can hold the city to moving forward. “This document is available for public as well, so the public will also be able to know that these are the standards that council’s expecting, and ask to ensure that they are holding both the city and council to those standards moving forward,” he said. The report also highlighted suggestions put forward by the public for a relaunch of Boulder’s main street when works were completed and further activation ideas for the Burt Street shopping precinct. Those suggestions included the return of Boulder Markets, a Boulder fun run, evening markets, enhancing the Go Local campaign with a Boulder focus, establishing a Burt Street activation fund, and fencing off city-owned land to reduce antisocial behaviour.