Seal and Open Greenhills Road, Pakenham – Urgent Safety Action Required

To: Cardinia Shire Council 

Cc: Department of Transport & Planning (VicRoads) 

Location: Pakenham, Victoria 

Road Asset ID: 211,809

We, the undersigned businesses, workers, customers, and community members, call on Cardinia Shire Council to urgently seal and open Greenhills Road, Pakenham, due to escalating safety risks and severe traffic congestion affecting the Livestock Way and Exchange Drive industrial precinct.

Why Immediate Action Is Needed

1. Livestock Way & Exchange Drive are no longer safe

The Livestock Way industrial zone has become a major heavy‑vehicle corridor, with constant movements of:

• B‑doubles
• Concrete trucks
• Tow trucks
• Delivery vehicles
• Customer cars
• Staff vehicles
• Pedestrians and cyclists

Businesses along Livestock Way and Exchange Drive are experiencing daily near‑miss incidents because:

• Vehicles queue back from Koo Wee Rup Road into Livestock Way
•  Driveways are blocked by heavy‑vehicle congestion
• Staff cannot safely move customer vehicles in or out
• Visibility is severely compromised
• Pedestrians are exposed to unpredictable truck movements

This is a serious and growing safety hazard.

2. Greenhills Road is already a declared public road — but unusable

According to council records:

• Council Asset ID: 211,809
• Road Name: Greenhills Road
• Classification: 4A Local Arterial
• Road Type: Sealed Industrial Pavement
• Declared Public Road: 28 June 2024

Despite this, the road remains:

• Unsealed
• Closed to public access
• Unavailable as an alternative route for industrial traffic

This contradicts the needs of the precinct and the purpose of a 4A local arterial road.

3. Industrial growth has exploded — and will increase again in 2026

The Livestock Way / Exchange Drive precinct now includes:

• Mechanical workshops
• Transport depots
• Logistics warehouses
• Fabrication and construction suppliers
• Automotive services
• Agricultural and livestock‑related operators
• Multiple new commercial tenancies opening in 2025–2026

With VicRoads’ new facility opening in 2026, traffic volumes will increase even further, worsening the already unsafe conditions.

4. Opening Greenhills Road will immediately reduce risk

Sealing and opening Greenhills Road will:

• Provide a second access route for industrial traffic
• Reduce congestion at Livestock Way
• Improve driveway safety for businesses
• Reduce heavy‑vehicle queueing onto Koo Wee Rup Road
• Support the precinct’s commercial growth
• Align with the road’s existing arterial classification
• Deliver a safer environment for workers, customers, and pedestrians

This is the most effective and urgently needed safety intervention for the area.

Our Request

We request that Cardinia Shire Council:

• Seal Greenhills Road to industrial standard.
• Open Greenhills Road to public access as intended under its 4A arterial classification.
• Conduct a traffic engineering safety assessment of Livestock Way and Exchange Drive.
• Implement interim safety measures until Greenhills Road is operational.
• Engage with affected businesses to ensure the road network supports current and future industrial demand.

Conclusion

The Livestock Way industrial precinct is facing unacceptable safety risks due to heavy‑vehicle congestion and limited access. Greenhills Road is already recognised as a public arterial road — it simply needs to be sealed and opened.

We urge Cardinia Shire Council to treat this matter as a priority for the safety of workers, customers, and the broader Pakenham community.