A NEW rural master plan for South Tamworth could dramatically change the landscape of the area and
redirect traffic flow for residents.
The draft plan proposes a number of new traffic routes including a highway bypass and a new suburban road
extension – which would effectively send much of the Kingswood residential estate traffic through current
farmlands rather than on the southern highway entrance to the city.
Tamworth Regional Council’s draft South Tamworth rural lands master plan, released on Tuesday, encompasses
the land bound by Spains Ln and Roberts Rd in the south, Goonoo Goonoo Rd to the east and Duri Rd to
the west and suggests over the next 15 years, equine, tourism and residential development will become a large
focus in the area.
Part of the proposal suggests the current Pages Ln and Palmer Dr routes would be extended to cross farmland and meet up with Burgmanns Ln.
The proposals have caught more than just a few residents by surprise.
Yesterday TRC councillor Russell Webb, who admitted he was a litte unsure of the finer details of the plan,
said he would like to see council hold a public meeting to help explain the effects and changes that could result if the plan was to be pushed through.
“Draft plans like this are usually designed to look at the best outcome of that particular area over the next 10 to 20 years, so it’s important the people who live there understand what it involves and if or how they might be impacted,” Cr Webb said.
He said recent workshops held with Manilla residents about issues stemming from their LEP were very successful.
“That worked really well. Maybe we need to do the same thing in the area covered by the plan,” he said.
“It would be a great way to look at what benefits there might be for those people with equine interests, too.”
Cr Webb encouraged residents of the area under the plan to read it and then come forward with any questions.
Tamworth mayor Col Murray also said he had minimal knowledge of the specifics of the draft plan, but was aware it had been in progress for some time.
“Council was disappointed when the Local Environment Plan was approved some years back,” Cr Murray said.
“This plan goes some way to try and reverse some of the changes made under that LEP that affect the area.”
He suggested the bulk of the plan centred around the hope the area would become equine-centric.
“There was a strong feeling about the area being developed to include equine business and other supporting business,” he said. “We see that some of that area could be developed in the future for things like veterinary clinics, specialist animal hospitals and equine suppliers.”
There had been talk about developing an equine equivalent to Taminda.
Cr Murray encouraged anyone with commercial equine interests to take time to look at the plan.
Moves to combat the lack of space – as a result of the changes to the LEP – were also considered in the development.
“As a result of the LEP there was less scope for bulky goods development in Taminda. Hopefully, this plan will mean there is space for that kind of development,” he said.
When asked about the proposed link-up of the road system, Cr Murray said he “didn’t know much”.
One Pages Ln resident contacted by The Leader yesterday said he was not likely to be directly effected by a road extension but would provide feedback on the draft plan to council.
“Kingswood is a growing family area and I hope there is a provision for bike tracks in the plan. At the moment parents wanting to walk with their children on bikes are forced to use the road. If those road extensions came into place it would be much more dangerous to do that,” he said.
The resident also expressed concern that the extension of Pages Ln to Burgmanns Ln may attract a number of “hoons”, hoping there was a provision for traffic-calming devices.
The draft plan also explores the idea of extending Herden Rd, if needed in the future to improve access for future residential development in the south-western part of the suburb.
It is not indicated in the report if minimum lot sizes – at the moment they’re 40ha – for land would change in the future.
If supported, the plan will be rolled out in three stages spanning, five-, 10- and 15- year periods.
In the first five years, stage one – business development, the development of a tourist precinct and utilities in the rural suburb are likely to be a focus and utilities including the area’s existing Transgrid site, could be expanded.
In the subsequent two stages – separate five to 10-year and 10 to 15-year periods – provisions for future large residential lots would be made in the immediate Kingswood area, and later, the south Tamworth area in and around Warwick Rd.
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