An Alstonville developer is asking Ballina Council to drop a requirement to widen part of Whites Lane, arguing road-safety works recommended by an audit should be enough instead.
The modification relates to an approved development at 110–112 Whites Lane comprising two single-storey buildings, including an information and education facility, café and retail shop, along with parking, landscaping and associated infrastructure.
The applicant, the Trustee for Freddie Hunter Trust, is seeking to amend two conditions of consent requiring road widening works.
Instead, it wants to carry out works consistent with recommendations from a Road Safety Audit.
Council’s exhibition notice says there would be no changes to the approved land use, building form, operational capacity, access arrangements, parking or hours of operation.
The application is being made under Section 4.55 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, which allows developers to seek modifications to an existing consent.
The proposal is potentially significant because road-widening conditions are typically imposed to address the traffic impacts of a development and ensure surrounding roads can safely accommodate additional vehicles.
Exactly why Council originally required the Whites Lane widening, and what the Road Safety Audit proposes in its place, will be central to the assessment.
The modification is currently on public exhibition, with submissions closing today, Friday, August 21.
Council will assess the application before deciding whether the road-widening requirement stays, changes, or disappears altogether.
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