Despite the objections of a large number of neighbours, including Ballina Toyota, Ballina Shire Council has given the green light to a new 24 hour Mobil service station on 485 River Street, West Ballina.
Proceedings opened with deputations in support of the project (from Stephen Moore, who said he was very much looking forward to building a service station in town to lower fuel prices and improve convenience), and against, from local resident Ralph Moss, who said there should be no new developments in the area until drainage and flooding issues were resolved.
Cr Phil Meehan said the DA was to demolish the old car yard (across Sunset Avenue from Ballina Toyota) and create a 24 hour service station.
While noting Ballina Council had received 35 written submissions from locals opposing the DA, he said noise, safety and traffic concerns would be addressed.
‘History will tell us that we are in a position as a council where the reality is that we must approve the DA because it is approvable,’ he said – unless it was decided the DA was not in the public interest.’
Cr Eoin Johnston concurred, saying Ballina Council would be ‘dancing with the devil’ (of future court action, and approvals from above) if they refused the DA, although he understood the concerns of locals about a 24 hour petrol station being plonked in their midst. He said it was not in the public interest and he didn’t understand the necessity.
‘I just don’t see that this is a essential service to the community,’ he said.
Cr Rod Bruem said the DA met all council requirements and there was no legal reason for refusal. Despite there being several other petrol stations nearby, he said it wasn’t a ‘valid argument’ to say there were enough petrol stations in Ballina already, suggesting that the new station would lower fuel prices.
‘It couldn’t come at a better time in terms of people struggling with their household budgets, and for people in this region who often commute to work.’
Limit the hours?
Cr Nigel Buchanan said he was ‘on the fence’ with the DA, which had residential dwellings on two sides, and he was concerned about the number of locals who had made their opposition known in writing.
Cr Buchanan wondered why it needed to be open 24 hours when there was another 24 hour petrol station just down the road?
The debate revealed that fuel delivery hours would be limited to between 7am and 10pm. Staff said drainage issues could be safely dealt with.
It also transpired there would be no provision for electric car charging at the new facility, due to technical limits of the local grid.
Cr Kiri Dicker said she didn’t think the proposed petrol station would contribute anything to the community, or lower fuel prices, but represented a significant conflict with residential areas. ‘However,’ she said, ‘it seems that we don’t have any grounds to oppose it.’
Some councillors wondered if the hours of the new facility as a whole could be curtailed, but a proposed amendment to limit the opening hours failed, attracting only the support of Crs Cadwallader, Simon Chate and Nigel Buchanan.
The original motion to accept the 24 hour Mobil station was then supported by all except Cr Eoin Johnston. Cr Eva Ramsey was not present.
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