Ryder Court residents charged $1800 for Station St roadworks

Residents living in a Drysdale court have been left ‘furious’ after council charged each household almost $2000 for roadworks two streets away.

Residents in Ryder Court have been charged for road works on a street they don't use.

Residents living in a Drysdale court have been left “furious” after Geelong council charged each household almost $2000 for road works on a street they don’t use.

A stretch of Station St was resealed and Bridge Street was upgraded to remove unsealed sections in 2018, according to council.

But resident Renee McKeon, who lives in Ryder Court two streets away from Station St, said she and her neighbours in the court were being “unfairly” forced to foot the bill.

“Council told us (before the pandemic) it would be doing road works and the cost would be passed onto the residents.”

Ms McKeon said, at that time, all five households in Ryder Court pushed back against council for being having to pay the cost.

“We don’t even use this road, it’s two streets away,” she said.

“There are two ways we get out of our court and onto the main road and neither of them involve Station St.

“I can understand that council needs to pass on some of the costs … but it shouldn't be to residents who don’t use that road.”

Station St and Ryder Court are two streets away.

Ms McKeon, who has lived on Ryder Court for eight years, said her court was not maintained by council.

“We are a little court with no street lighting, we don’t get street sweeping, we take our bins up to the main road for collection,” she said.

“It feels like they don’t recognise us as a street until they want our money.”

Ms McKeon said the residents “went back and forth” to council for the cost to be wiped but were “stonewalled” each time.

“We were told the charge would be added to our rates and it wouldn’t be one lump sum payment.,” she said.

“After the works were completed, we didn’t hear anything from council so we thought the cost must have been incorporated into our rates.”

But last week, Ms McKeon received a bill in the mail for $1808.59 to be paid by December 30.

“I reached out to (council) after I received the bill and told them my budget doesn’t allow me to pay that amount of money by that due date, let alone anytime soon,” Ms McKeon said.

“I’m a single parent … interest rates have just gone up again.

“We are all single-income households, we are just average people and I feel like council is taking advantage of us.”

Geelong council acting executive director of city infrastructure David Greaves said 47 households contributed to the road works and residents were given the opportunity to dispute the bill during the consultation period.

“Residents of Ryder Court have contributed significantly less than other benefitting properties included in this scheme,” he said.

Originally published as Ryder Court residents charged $1800 for Station St roadworks