Sharon Webb

MEANDER VALLEY Council has approved a transport depot development that local residents believe could contribute to the already high numbers of traffic accidents at Elizabeth Town.

Speaking about the development at the December council meeting, resident Amelia Reynolds said there had been one serious crash and two other accidents that locals were aware of at the intersection of Bass Highway and Griffins Road in the past five years.

‘There have been six crashes, including fatalities, nearby at the intersection of Bass Highway and Christmas Hills Road, which is in close proximity to the Griffins Road intersection’, she said.

Ms Reynolds, speaking on behalf of local residents Harry Haines, Darren Rumble, Mark Reynolds, Barry Reynolds and Jacqueline Reynolds, said, ‘We are concerned about the prospect of 26m B-doubles and large machinery such as 19.5m tri-axle semi-trailers turning into Griffins Road from the Bass Highway in a 110km zone.’

Dornauf Contracting owner, Selena Scott and Chris Dornauf, applied to the council to formalise the use of the 3.3 hectare property at 5271 Bass Highway as a transport depot.

They will build two new accesses off Griffins Road and a machinery shed, use a shipping container for storage and park trucks, utes, trailers, a forklift, tractors and a wheel loader.

The business, operating since 2014, opens from 6am to 6pm, employing three people.

Council planner Natasha Whiteley said in her report that transport and distribution is a discretionary use in the rural resource zone but that Dornauf Contracting’s proposal is considered in keeping with the zone purpose and is considered to be satisfactory in relation to the performance criteria and concerns raised by neighbours.

‘Conditions are recommended to establish a vegetation screen, construct accesses to the site to the relevant standards including localised widening of Griffins Road to enable vehicle turning paths, and to manage potential intensification of the use.

A 1.8m high colorbond fence along the boundary with Griffins Road is proposed.

The fence would not block all views of the machinery but the view of the location from the highway was fleeting, Ms Whiteley told councillors.

A traffic impact assessment by Richard Burk of Traffic and Civil Services, concluded that the proposal is safe, will not create any traffic issues and is supported subject to council recommendations.

He said there was no evidence of a crash propensity on Griffins Road or at the Bass Highway junction.

Dornauf Contracting’s proposal is expected to generate up to four vehicle movements
per day, with two vehicle movements during peak hours. Mr Burk said the existing

basic right and left junction layout is adequate.

The two formal objections to the development said the site was already crowded.

Ms Reynolds said on numerous occasions B-doubles had been parked on the verge of Griffins Road, and she believed the business would soon outgrow the present site.

‘This historic area contains some of the best agricultural land in Tasmania and the aesthetic impact of this proposal is concerning to us personally and for growing numbers of tourists to the Meander Valley.’

Business owner Selina Scott told the council her business was established around agricultural production, transport of crop produce, livestock, stock feeds and machinery.

‘We run a private yard for a young, small business in a tough industry and we’re happy to do what’s reasonable.’

Cllr Stephanie Cameron said her primary concern was safety. ‘I think the applicants are going to have to do some quite substantial upgrades at their cost to rectify some of those safety issues.’

She said eight conditions imposed by the planner alleviated her concerns, and that if Dornauf Transport owners wished to expand in the future they would need to submit another application to the council.

The council approved the development application with only Cllrs Temple and Synfield voting against it.