Upgrades are now complete on Brunt Road and Pioneer Way in Officer.  

To support the development and growth around the Princes Highway in Officer, Brunt Road has been duplicated from the entrance of Blue Gum Park to the railway crossing, and Pioneer Way has been extended to connect with Brunt Rd.  

A new roundabout has also been installed at the Brunt Rd, Pioneer Way, and Edinburgh Drive intersection to support increasing traffic and provide access to the new Kurmile Primary School located on Fairweather Parade.  

Following the construction works, concerns were raised regarding the removal of the right-hand turn facilities in to and out of the village.  

To address these concerns, a notice of motion was raised at the December 2023 Council meeting to complete an independent traffic assessment to review the safety of allowing right-turns out of Brunt Rd and future Rix Rd. 

As a result of the notice of motion, Council completed an independent traffic assessment and presented the findings back at the February 2024 Council Meeting. 

The traffic impact assessment found that providing centre median openings along the Brunt-Rix Road corridor are not in line with the intended or required standard for a Connector Street Boulevard within the Officer PSP and that their installation would negatively impact the safety and operation of Brunt Road at the entrance at Blue Gum Lifestyle Village. 

Significant traffic volumes are already being experienced along Brunt Road and it is likely that the traffic will exceed the estimated volumes modelled for the PSP, which were estimated to be at 14,500 vehicles per day. Due to the volume of traffic, it would be unsafe to install additional median crossings along Brunt Rd. 

It was recommended for the road safety and operational reasons that an additional centre median opening not be installed at the entrance to the Blue Gum Lifestyle Village, or within the wider Brunt-Rix Road corridor, in line with the requirements of the Officer PSP. 

The recommendations outlined in the traffic report were endorsed by Council in February 2024.