The intermodal freight hub is being designed, the Tamworth-Barraba rail line has been funded, and now the master plan for the 246-hectare Tamworth Enterprise Area (TEA) has been revealed.
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Tamworth Regional Council has the draft plan on public exhibition until December 17, and some of the infrastructure work – on stormwater drainage – should start early next year, mayor Col Murray said.
The council next aims to secure some $4.5 million in state funding to match the federal dollars committed to a five-legged roundabout.
At the intersection of Oxley Highway, Country Road and New Winton Road, it will give access to the TEA site.
“We’re hopeful of hearing a favourable response this side of Christmas,” Cr Murray said.
He was pleased to see the council’s long-planned development finally coming together.
“We’ve been waiting a long time for this … and we’re looking forward to seeing some action,” he said.
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The draft plan shows the preferred concept for the site west of the city, bounded north and south by Wallamore Road and Oxley Highway; and west and east by Goddard Lane and Marathon Street.
It shows a site split into three precincts: the intermodal freight terminal and associated heavy industry; general and light industry; and a business and technology park.
Key points
The report refers to a number of measures to minimise the impact on nearby residents.
The business and technology precinct is slated for the eastern side of the TEA.
That, along with a 15-metre-wide strip of vegetation along all of Marathon Street, had “been designed to … provide a very large buffer zone between residential properties and heavier industrial properties,” Cr Murray said.
The report also refers to a “prohibition” on traffic in and out of the TEA from that street, “to avoid traffic conflict with the primary school located at the intersection of Marathon Street and the Oxley Highway”.
“It is also aimed at maintaining residential amenity for housing located along the frontage of Marathon Street.”
Cr Murray said some elements of the draft plan were “pre-determined factors”, such as stormwater infrastructure, sewers and water supplies.
“The master plan succinctly decides where the major infrastructure goes, but the minor infrastructure will be up for grabs as the development proceeds.”
- The plan is on show at the Tamworth, Manilla, Barraba and Nundle council offices, and at tamworth.nsw.gov.au