A VETERAN councillor has infuriated King George V Ave residents by suggesting the stunning boulevard offers the only viable alternative access point to Calala.
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Councillor James Treloar this week requested staff produce a report detailing the land council would need to acquire to construct a new link to the suburb.
He also called for Tamworth ratepayers to be charged a “special levy”, raising about $200,000 a year, to fund the undergrounding of overhead powerlines in the avenue.
The former mayor said two traffic studies relating to the 500-lot Peel River Estate subdivision highlighted future congestion issues around Goonoo Goonoo and Scott roads.
“There is obviously no alternative on how we can provide a second access to Calala,” he told Tuesday night’s council meeting, following the development’s approval.
“Calala Ln will continue to operate at an acceptable level until approximately 2040, but ... we will need to consider long-term options to address traffic growth.
“I move that council come back with a report that identifies the land that would be required to be resumed in King George V Ave to provide a second travelling lane.”
Residents fought to save the avenue’s historic English oak trees when the Peel River Estate development originally called for the removal of about 47 trees to widen the road.
More than 17,000 locals signed a petition calling for the trees to be protected and high-profile developer Andrew Richardson amended the plans.
The campaign ultimately led to the trees’ heritage listing, but key players in the battle now say Cr Treloar has reopened the incendiary debate at its “sorest point”.
King George V Ave resident and arborist David McKinnon said there were clearly better alternatives to manage future traffic flow around the growing suburb.
“The road cannot go in without excavation and we’ve already established that the moment you excavate you will be damaging the roots systems – and in these particular old trees, that is fatal,” he said.
Councillor Juanita Wilson said the requested report was too narrow in scope and should not focus solely on King George V Ave.
“If there’s consideration around this to impose a levy on ratepayers to support development in this specific area – and it’s very unusual to ask for levies – then I think we need to look at all alternatives,” she said.
“The issue here is to respond to the traffic need that’s being created through the development of Calala.”
But Cr Treloar said there was no point in “looking at options that will add to that traffic congestion”.
