With up to 1,500 new homes and commercial expansion planned for the exclusive hilltop along The Saddle Road, The Echo sought to clarify Council’s traffic plans given new roads will be needed to accommodate the proposal.
The Saddle Road precinct, including the Gulgan Village, is proposed for large residential and commercial expansion under Council’s Residential Strategy 2041 and Business Lands Strategy (BILS).
The NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA) are also involved, having held closed-door meetings with Council over many months.
According to www.byron.nsw.gov.au/Development-Business/Land-Use-Zoning/Saddle-Road-Precinct, the ‘Infrastructure Priority Plan’ has commenced, with the Precinct Structure Plan yet to begin.
As reported last week, Council staff are preparing to undertake road improvements on Mullumbimby Road, which will impact traffic on The Saddle Road.
The Local Traffic Committee meeting minutes from November 19, 2024, read, ‘A meeting was held with Transport to discuss the possibility of lowering the speed limit on Mullumbimby Road to address the sight distance issues at the Saddle Road and McAuleys Lane intersections’.
‘At this time, Transport was not supportive of lowering the speed limit from 80km/h in this location’.
The Echo asked Mayor Sarah Ndiaye, ‘Are there any plans to create a new access road for The Saddle Road, or will the residents of the estimated 1,500 new homes all be using the existing road network?’
She replied, ‘This is a large and complex site, involving multiple landowners and numerous moving parts. It’s also a significant opportunity to address the housing crisis with modern planning principles, focusing on affordable and diverse housing solutions that can meet future needs. As I understand it, the existing road reserve along the Saddle Road ridge is not suitable for accommodating the additional traffic generated by the BILS site.
‘As per the development proposal, the BILS/Gulgan Village site will need to construct a new roundabout off Gulgan Road, as well as an internal access road up to the ridge to manage the expected traffic flows.
Uncle Tom’s roundabout
‘Council has applied for a $7.6 million grant from the Housing Support Program to fund the construction of a roundabout at the Gulgan/Mullumbimby Road (Uncle Tom’s) intersection.
‘In this scenario, a left-in/left-out arrangement at the northern end of The Saddle Road would allow local traffic travelling towards Mullumbimby to turn left, perform a U-turn at the new roundabout, and then continue north into Mullumbimby.
‘The existing intersection at the northern end of The Saddle Road is particularly hazardous, especially for right-turns at the crest, and a redesign is essential.
‘However, it’s important to note that no decision has yet been made by the Commonwealth government regarding this funding request.
‘If the grant is not approved in the short term, alternative traffic management strategies will be explored during the planning and development phases to ensure the development’s traffic needs are addressed.
‘Looking further ahead, long-term access to the entire Saddle Road precinct will be guided by the development of an infrastructure priority plan, which is already underway.
‘This plan is crucial for supporting any future precinct structure plan and will incorporate a thorough assessment of Aboriginal cultural and landscape values.
‘Throughout this process, we are engaging regularly with the Saddle Road Precinct Landowners Group, and will provide updates to Council at each stage.
‘The first report on the Gulgan Village development is scheduled to be presented to Council in February.
Gulgan Village
‘Although the planning process is ongoing, it’s likely that all new vehicular access to, and within, the future development areas will be routed via a new internal road network connecting to Gulgan Road.
‘Given the scale of the project, changes to the road network will be phased over a ten-plus-year period, meaning there will likely be interim traffic management measures implemented throughout this timeline, depending on funding availability and development progress’, Mayor Ndiaye added.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
