Agreement (VPA) allowing the potential excess traffic generation “trip ends” credits applied to the current
site under the Tweed Road Contribution Plan (TRCP) to be transferred as “credits” from the existing site to
the new site. Credits are claimed on the basis that the current store’s future use won’t generate as much
traffic as its likely use is for less intense ‘Bulky Goods’.
Bunnings and Harvey Norman are seeking to relocate the existing Bunnings to a larger site several hundred metres down the road at 44 Enterprise Avenue, Tweed Heads South. As part of the process they have sought a Voluntary Planning Agreement (VPA) with Tweed Shire Council (TSC) for the transfer of ‘potential excess traffic generation “trip ends” credits applied to the current site.
Councillor James Owen (Liberal) spoke to the motion to approve the VPA saying that Bunnings is ‘a bit of a focal point for the community, it’s a corporate entity owned by a big company, but people love the Bunnings store… one thing that will be good with the new Bunnings is they might actually have space for the sausage sizzle to come back.’
With a humorous lilt to her voice Mayor Chris Cherry (Independent) thanked Councillor Owen saying it was ‘good to see you’ve got your priorities there’.
Traffic a key issue
Councillor Polglase (Conservative) then raised the issue of traffic at the site telling the meeting that ‘one of the biggest issues with this proposal is the movement of traffic’ and that ‘that is the driver that is either gonna make this project happen or not. We as a council have a responsibility to make sure we get the balance of the traffic movement correct.’
Approved
The VPA was approved by councillors with Mayor Cherry reminding councillors that ‘it’s important that we remember that this is not the development application (DA) for the building of Bunnings. This is just with regards to the voluntary planning agreement that allows the traffic trip ends that are currently in the current site to be allocated to, or partially allocated to, the new site. So I think it is important that there will be an opportunity when the DA is considered to really address a lot of those traffic issues that were raised in submissions.
‘We had 28 submissions, just about all of them raised the issue of traffic and how perhaps a roundabout or a traffic light is needed… some solution is needed because of the location and I think our traffic engineers are going to be looking at that very, very closely.’
Mayor Cherry focused on the fact that the doubling of the size of Bunnings is looking to create around 100 new jobs in the shire.
However, she said that ‘it’s important people know that there is an opportunity for submissions to DA’s when they come there and certainly Council will be looking as Councillor Polglase has highlighted very, very closely at the traffic issues that this business will create and can trying to mitigate that as much as possible.’
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