Wednesday marked a historic day for the Maldon township with work beginning to remove power poles and lines following the completion of the long-awaited project to move the town’s power underground.
The major milestone in the multi-million project to revitalise the streetscapes of the historic township was made possible by support from the state government.
Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards joined working group members, community members, Mount Alexander Shire Council staff to witness the teams from Powercor and contractors R & R McClure Castlemaine remove the first power pole near the Kangaroo Hotel in Fountain Street.
The Maldon Revitalisation project has been backed by a $4.5 million investment from the state government’s Building Works package.
This project has created 17 construction jobs and will revitalise Maldon’s town centre, while protecting and enhancing its heritage features, further boosting tourism to the region.
The significant upgrade will improve the public space including traffic flow and pedestrian access, underground overhead power and rejuvenate the town’s shopfronts. It aims to drive visitation and restore the town’s historic charm.
Ms Edwards thanked local business operators and the community for their support of this important step in the project.
“The residents and business owners of Maldon will be celebrating this exciting milestone in the Maldon Streetscape Revitalisation Project as today marks an important stage in preserving the historic streetscape for generations to come,” she said.
Tarrengower Ward Councillor Stephen Gardner thanked all the community members, in particular the working groups, for their dedication to the project which has been decades in the making.
“Across many levels of government, across varying sectors of the community – we are working hand-in-hand to restore Maldon – keeping the town fresh, retaining its heritage features, and making it easier for people to get around, now, and into the future,” he said.
Council’s project manager Jeff Jackson said that the last power pole is expected to be removed on July 20, weather permitting.
“We thank all the local businesses and residents for their understanding and patience during the works and Powercor and R & R McClure for their professionalism. They have been wonderful to work with,” Mr Jackson said.
The council and working groups will now be shifting focus to reviewing feedback regarding the temporary crossover in Maldon’s Main Street before looking at commencing the next phase of the project.
