Station Street continues to be a contentious topic, however after a series of setbacks the project will move toward the tender phase.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A new roundabout roundabout, tree removal and tree re-planting, a 70 car space parking lot at Mittagong as well as project readiness were some of the items debated on by councillors at the March 25 meeting.
General deputy manager Barry Paull said the report before council was not a review of Station Street and would go ahead.
"As councillors are aware it has been a long and protracted matter to deal with some third parties in terms of trying to get this project moving," he said.
"I'm talking about specifically Sydney Trains, State Rail and Transport NSW.
"This refers to the alignment of the northern end of the Station Street project.
"The original design required the slip road and the northbound lane to run through the land that council currently has a car park on, but it also impacted significantly on the car park that is owned by Sydney Trains."
Coronavirus updates:
- COVID-19, coronavirus: NSW residents can be fined $11,000 fines for leaving home without 'reasonable excuse'
- Professor Patrick McGorry calls for urgent overhaul of mental health system to cope with pandemic aftermath
- Kiama nine-year-old writes letter about how coronavirus crisis has affected him
- Coronavirus: $130b JobKeeper program to subsidise wages to keep people in work
Mr Paull said that up until recently the car spaces were a sticking point for Sydney Trains despite various negotiations around alternative parking options.
"Their issue was that they wanted as many car spaces as possible on the western side of the roadway," he said.
"They were not prepared to accept additional car spaces on the eastern side of the roadway in the vicinity of the memorial park.
"That has gone on for some years. It has been a very difficult process."
A new design was conceived by a Wingecarribee Shire Council officer internally as a potential option.
"As councillors are aware, we came to you with a proposal to alter the alignment of the most northern part of the Station Street project and to alter the alignment of the roundabout," Mr Paull said.
"We explored that with Sydney Trains and Transport NSW over a period of time and got tentative agreement to get that design approved.
"What that has done is remove the slip lane and move the north and south lane further to the east which has allowed more spaces for Sydney Trains in the precinct in front of Bowral Railway Station and on the western side of the road. "
Mr Paull said that it would not be 141 car spaces which were currently there and that it was an issue.
To placate concerns regarding railway parking, council and State Rail agreed to additional parking at the Mittagong Railway Station.
"Initially that was not accepted but after providing them with some concept designs they began to warm to the idea," Mr Paul Said.
"What we have now via email is an in principal agreement to the revised design.
"We are waiting for a heads of agreement document to come to us, it's with senior officers with Sydney Trains and Transport for NSW for their review.
"There is a process that it needs to go through and it has taken a little longer that I had expected but I am still being advised that it will happen in the not so distant future."
Mr Paull also mentioned that the pin oaks would be a casualty of the new redesign.
Robert Smart, a registered landscape architect and consulting arborist addressed the councillors on the matter of the pin oaks.
Per the council redesign, eight pin oak tress would be removed from the western alignment of Station Street and five 'super advanced' pin oaks would be planted within the new median strip.
"The existing trees are visually and historically significant, there is no doubt about that, they are now 80 years old," he said.
"The trees on the eastern side of Station Street are particularly large and prominent specimens, the trees on the western side have struggled and are half the the size and they are experiencing some significant tree dieback."
Mr Smart explained that the redesign would mean that the road works would occur closer to the trees, which would affect the root system and health of them.
"If we start building roads next to them, we would have to dig down to create the necessary capacity for that road to be constructed and will have a massive impact on the roots and structure of the tree.
"If we start to sever and impact roots then the tree becomes structurally unstable.
"We have a rare opportunity that the council has taken on board, where we have sourced five very large and mature pin oaks which are growing in a nursery.
"We can see this as a succession plan for the western alignment."
Councillor Garry Turland moved an amendment to suspend the work on the Station Street project until such time as the pandemic passes, to re-advertise the plans to the community and the funds set aside for the project be diverted to help the community during this "very difficult and trying time".
He was supported by Councillors Ian Scandrett and Ken Halstead.
"We've seen a plan come forward with huge changes that the public have not seen," he said.
"We should re-advertise the plan to the community and let the people of Mittagong have a voice, as they are now affected by a project that is in Bowral.
"Don't get me wrong, I agree with this project, I agree with the trees to be removed. What has happened is that it has changed too much from the original proposal and we have a duty to the public to show the changes and cost.
"Right now we are going through the biggest crisis we have seen. It would be irresponsible of us to spend something like $17 million dollars plus while our residents are doing it tough.
"I'm not saying to shelve the project, I'm saying to hold it back."
Councillor Graham McLaughlin said that he was against the amendment.
"I think now is the time to stimulate jobs in our community as we heard the Prime Minister say the other night," he said.
"Every person who has a job is paramount and I think to be cutting projects now is the wrong way.
"I think if you look at what history tells us in the depression that we had in 1933, governments closed things down and it had the worst result.
"We need to keep jobs going, we need to keep as much as we can going while we can. I think it's important for the whole community. Now is not the time to close things down. People who can work need to try to support our community going forward.
"I don't think this is the approach at the moment."
Cr Turland's amendment was lost, with only Cr Turland, Scandrett and Halstead voting for it.
Councillors Grahame Andrews, Larry Whipper, Gordon Markwart, McLaughlin, and Mayor Duncan Gair voted to endorse the modified design layout, the removal of eight trees and the replacement of five super trees, to provide alternative parking solutions for commuters and to include the funds required for the project in the 2020/2021 draft operational plan and budget.
The recommendation was passed.
Councillors Turland, Scandrett and Halstead voted against it.
