COUNCIL has heaped pressure on the state government to fix Goonoo Goonoo Road suggesting poor infrastructure could lead to a development downturn in the city.
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An ongoing imbroglio sparked by a 21-unit housing development on Ainslie Place, near the southern thoroughfare, has highlighted shortcomings of the region’s roads.
Council rejected the development with looming safety concerns and is steadfastly trying to avoid similar instances arising.
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General Manager Paul Bennett said Tamworth Regional Council had to “actively push” to upgrade the road.
“Do you knock back what is an appropriate development on the basis the infrastructure provided by other levels of government is unsatisfactory? That piece of road probably should have been fixed a long time ago, before this development was even considered,” he said.
Councillor Mark Rodda didn’t doubt the potential quality or need for higher-density housing, but called on the state government to fix the road.
“I am aware, as a resident of South Tamworth, of the limitations of that intersection and I don’t believe a high-density situation like this will ameliorate those issue,” he said.
Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson said he would raise the concerns with the minister and seek funding to make the upgrade a reality.
Tamworth mayor Col Murray has previously said council has allocated $90,000 from the 2017/18 budget to start survey and design work to ensure the road is ready for work when funding becomes available.
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Tamworth, along with Wagga Wagga, has been pegged by the state government to become a regional centre with a population topping 100,000 people.
“Particularly the roads leading in and out of the city,” Russell Webb said.
“They might be adequate now, but we have to think about how to make those roads suitable for the next 30 to 50 years.”
Mr Bennett said bad intersections were being addressed across the city.
“Ringers Road is a bad intersection … Bligh Street, Tribe Street, they’re all very bad intersections,” Mr Bennett said.
“It’s important to remember this development hasn’t taken this from a lower classification and made it fail and nor is it making it substantially worse than what it is. “The biggest issue here is about the capacity of Goonoo Goonoo Road to deal with traffic.
“This is an issue we’ve been trying address across the city, hence the reason for the work on Manilla Road.
“Now we get to a point where we’re starting to knock back developments, potentially, not only at this intersection, but wherever this issue arises around the city.”