A proposed 43-lot housing development with an entry and exit into Warrnambool’s Turner Estate will mean an extra 400 traffic movements daily in the area, upsetting residents.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
More than 150 residents have come together to object to the proposal, signing a petition calling on the Warrnambool City Council to consider its effect on local homeowners.
They say they are not against the development at 159 Mortlake Road, but want it to have an alternate entry/exit point, not onto Leo Francis Drive.
The development includes 43 housing blocks, and Turner Estate spokeswoman Roslyn Turner said she had discussed the proposal with homeowners who had “grave concerns for the safety of residents going forward”.
“In the new subdivision submission it says there will be up to 400 more cars in the Turner Estate per day,” she said. “They will come out Leo Francis Drive, which is quite narrow, and onto Turner Drive. It is already chaos in the morning.”
Mrs Turner said in the mornings and afternoons traffic could become “hectic” in the estate.
She said the developers stated in their application the intersection at Turner Drive, Balmoral Road and Mortlake Road was “chaotic”.
“We just want a better exit and entry option,” she said.
“We aren’t against the development. It’s such a nice area. To have so many more cars it would be a nightmare.”
In the petition Mrs Turner wrote she had concerns for emergency vehicle access.
“We feel that having one entry through Leo Francis Drive is a hazard for all emergency vehicles,” she said.
“In the event of an emergency and an evacuation is required, the exit at Turner Drive would create a bottleneck and be a death trap for all residents.”
The residents are requesting the entry/exit point for the development to be located on a separate service road, which then went onto Mortlake Road.
They have requested that the current service road onto Turner Drive not be extended, as it would only add to current congestion issues.
As per local law regulations the petition will lay on the table before being considered by councillors at an upcoming council meeting.