Casino development approved despite access concerns

Aerial view of the proposed rezoning 44 hectares from a major tourism zone to a general residential zone. Map reproduced from page 18, MV Council Agenda February 2021

Sharon Webb

A DEVELOPMENT planned for Country Club Avenue in Prospect Vale has been described by Councillors as ‘fantastic’ and ‘a high quality residential development’.

[Note: a typographic error in the Gazette’s print version refers to ‘Casino Club Avenue’ in the above paragraph. This has now been corrected here.]

At their February meeting councillors unanimously supported rezoning 44 hectares of land at 100 Country Club Avenue from a major tourism zone to a general residential zone. They also supported inserting a specific area plan to provide for key features of the 380 lot residential estate.

Cllr Frank Nott commented favourably on the diversity of housing in the plan proposed by Kin Capital and Federal Group. It includes a multi-level retirement village for over 50s and open space, including bushland area and walking trails to the perimeter of the site.

Cllrs Nott, Rodney Synfield and John Temple were the only councillors who commented on the development or asked planner Jo Oliver questions about their concerns.

A major concern was the potential problems around Country Club Avenue being the single road into and out of the development. Harley Parade is to be restricted to local residents, pedestrians and cyclists.

Cllr Synfield said, ‘I find it curious with a development the size of Blackstone Heights in its entirety that there’s only one way in and out. I’m hoping the proponent will advocate strongly for that road to open.

‘If Harley Parade is not technically wide enough then we could maybe do something about that over time to make it a reasonable solution.’

Blackstone Heights residents recently expressed concern about the same single access/egress problem in a 95-home subdivision approved by the council for 68 hectares at 1 Panorama Road, mainly because of their fears of being trapped in a bushfire because of traffic bottlenecks.

On the Casino development, Ms Oliver said not using Harley Parade as a second access to Westbury Road was ‘not ideal’ but firmly discounted the possibility.

‘Harley Parade was never designed as a substantive collector road’, she said.

‘This [changing it] would have a significant impact on existing residents who have bought into and built in an area never designed as a substantive collector. Country Club Avenue was designed to handle those levels of traffic.’

Ms Oliver said Harley Parade not only wasn’t wide enough for extra traffic but eliminating local parking down one side to widen it would ‘go pear shaped’. She maintained that widening Harley Parade would be ‘phenomenally expensive’ and that opening the road in an emergency was feasible.

‘Emergency access via a gate is not an uncommon practice. If we do need to evacuate, there will be plenty of notice. Even though there will be a gate with a master key held by emergency services it will be well managed.’

Residents wishing to comment on the zone changes must submit them to Meander Valley Council by Monday 15 March.

The council is required to advertise the amendment in two Saturday newspapers and exhibit it for public comment for 28 days. It must consider public representations and report to the Tasmanian Planning Commission, who will hold hearings before making a decision.