Luis Feliu
The shopping district in the heavily-populated Banora Point area of Tweed Heads could soon get bigger under plans to turn part of the Club Banora site into a retail centre with a supermarket, specialty shops and car parking.
Twin Towns Services Club, which owns the club on Leisure Drive, wants part of the cash-strapped club’s land on the north-eastern corner of its 60-hectare site, adjoining the Banora Point Shopping Village, rezoned to enable the club’s staged re-development.
The club’s planning consultants have asked Tweed Shire Council to prepare a planning proposal for the state planning department, which is determining the plan under its ‘gateway’ policy.
Tweed councillors will debate the issue tonight (Thursday).
The consultants have told council the club is in a financial predicament due to major changes affecting the club industry, and its plan to redevelop the club in Banora Point had resulted in excess land it considers suitable for retail purposes.
The plan was publicly exhibited late last year, with some submissions expressing concerns including traffic impacts, an oversupply of retail outlets in the area, site contamination and integration with the adjoining shopping centre.
But council planners say the issues raised had been addressed and did not warrant the rezoning not going ahead.
The district’s major retail centre, Tweed City, is less than a kilometre away (as the crow flies). Other shopping centres within the trade area of Banora include the Banora Central Shopping Centre and the Tweed Heights Shopping Village, both around a kilometre away also.
An economic impact assessment provided by the club says the proposed retail facilities at Club Banora ‘will play a predominantly convenience oriented role for trade area residents, but also that a small, targeted comparison good offer (apparel and household goods) is warranted to serve the needs of the retiree population’.
