By NIKKI TODD
RESIDENTS and business owners at Pottsville are calling for a rear access lane to Coronation Avenue to be sealed as soon as possible to help ease traffic congestion and improve safety in the busy main street of the coastal village.
The calls follow a landmark deal, more than 18 years in the making, to transfer an 11m-wide strip of NSW Government Crown Land at the rear of shops on the northern side of Coronation Ave to Tweed Shire Council.
The acquisition will allow an access lane, known as Berkleys Lane, to be constructed allowing much-needed rear access for service vehicles to the businesses.
Council’s acting general manager Troy Green, who led the negotiations, said he was extremely pleased with the outcome.
“For a long time it’s been a stalemate between Lands and council,’’ Mr Green said.
“We gave a little and they gave a little and there’s a fantastic outcome for the community of Pottsville and the businesses.”
Mr Green, who declined to reveal the cost of the deal, citing commercial-in-confidence rules, said he counted the deal as among his greatest achievements in his role as acting GM.
Pottsville Community Association president Chris Cherry welcomed the acquisition, saying it would have a massive impact on the town.
“The PCA is thrilled council has been able to negotiate a land swap with the Crown Lands department that will enable the service road to go ahead,’’ Ms Cherry said.
“The building of this road and the ability of service vehicles and the public to use it to access the IGA car park and other businesses along Coronation Ave will really have a great impact on congestion and the safety of pedestrians and it is something we have been asking of council for a long time.’’
But Ms Cherry urged council to bring forward plans to seal the road.
“(Council’s) Budget and Delivery Program for the next four years contained an allocation of $1,353,000 for the 2015-’16 budget year for the building of this service road, so the community is expecting great things,’’ she said.
“We hope this money may be able to be brought forward to an earlier time to allow a proper access road to be constructed.’’
Her call was echoed by Pottsville Beach Business Association president Tania Murdock, whose family owns Pottsville’s pharmacy and surrounding buildings.
“I know council has spent a bit of money in acquiring this land but we really need the road to be built for the overall benefit of the shire’s community,’’ Ms Murdock said.
“I don’t think we are being too bold to say this is well overdue and I think it would be very much appreciated if council could help us out here as well – not just get this far and leave it up to us to fund. Council does have a further responsibility here.’’
But Mr Green said contributions from business owners, whose property values would significantly benefit from the new road, would be needed to proceed.
“We had a really good meeting with business owners on Friday,’’ Mr Green said.
“What we’ve agreed to do, in the first quarter of next year, is do design estimates and costings and go back to the business owners with that because we will be looking for some kind of contribution from them.’’
Leading business owner Roger McLeod, who owns a real estate business in Coronation Ave, said businesses would benefit enormously from the road and fully expected to contribute.
“Council, in my opinion, has every right to ask for a contribution from commercial property owners because there is and will be a huge benefit in formalising the public road,’’ Mr McLeod said.
“It is normal local government and industry standard for this to be applied to commercial property owners in these circumstances.’’
