Council’s workshops have led to draft Planning Principles for the Council owned land surrounding the existing centre.  If implemented these would address many of the concerns raised by the local community, but they will have no binding effect, and will not therefore stop Council from selling off individual lots for piecemeal development.  The Principles also take as a given the proposed BigW, even though the DA for this has yet to be considered by the Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRPP).  This assumption severely limits the options for an integrated approach to future development, effectively ‘locking in’ Council’s preferred perimeter road. It also pre-empts decisions on stormwater management and environmental issues.

The draft Principles will go to a meeting of the new Council and then be publicly exhibited for wider comment.  TRRA will then comment in detail, and will press for the Principles to be given binding effect – in effect becoming the Masterplan that Council’s planning staff, Cllrs Nell and Dingle (and the JRPP chair) all agree is preferable.

TRRA also refuses to accept that the current BigW DA is a ‘done deal’ and will seek to address the JRPP once Council’s assessment report is available.

In the meantime, the major extension of the Coles supermarket has led to the loss of around 60 car parking spaces during construction, and seems likely to permanently reduce capacity by 32. It seems that the Kmart and Aldi developments have already reduced parking from the approved level, adding to the stress experienced at peak times.