Mayor of Campbelltown George Brticevic has warned that allowing trucks to use a proposed new service station near the Hume Highway exit at Denham Court would be a “disaster waiting to happen’’.
Cr Brticevic hit out during debate on a report outlining how the Sydney Western City Planning Panel had overturned a council decision to ban long vehicles from using the station at 194 Campbelltown Road.
Councillors appointed to the panel were prevented from taking part in the decision because of conflict of interest rules governing planning decisions in NSW.
At last night’s meeting two councillors, Meg Oates and Paul Lake, lambasted the current planning system which produced the service station decision as “ineffective and of concern’’.
Cr Brticevic chimed in afterwards to say that council had originally made the decision to approve the service station but ban long vehicles for good reasons.
They included the “adverse effect on the safe movement of traffic on local roads, road maintenance issues, potential traffic congestion from trucks queuing, and conflict with adjoining rural-residential development’’.
The proposed station will be located on a site bound by the Hume Highway, the northern exit at Denham Court and a set of traffic lights at the T-section with Campbelltown Road.
“All it would take would be two B-double trucks stopped at the lights and you could have a fatality behind them,’’ Cr Brticevic.
Council was offered the opportunity to be the planning proposal authority for the rezoning to allow long vehicles to access the service station, but declined to do so.
- In other decisions last night:
Council supported a notice of motion from Cr Karen Hunt to investigate the feasibility of electric car charging stations in Campbelltown as well as the installation of energy generating footpaths.
“I am not thinking of getting an electric car myself any time soon,’’ Cr Hunt told council.
“However, Campbelltown is located so well geographically, on the outer edge of the South West Sydney, it would be a great place for people driving through stop to recharge their electric vehicles,’’ Cr Hunt said.
- The Maryfields business and residential development moved a step closer when council approved to put on exhibition a master plan (pictured below) of the entire plan for medium density, seniors living housing and the business park.
The business park alone is estimated to create more than 1,200 jobs.
Originally lodged to council in 2014, the plan has been hit by delays caused by a number of state government agencies.
There were also concerns from residents of Blair Athol, which is located right next to the Maryfields development, that they would end up with major traffic problems if cars were allowed to come through their suburb.
However a report to council says only buses will be allowed to travel between Maryfields and Blair Athol.
