GUNNEDAH Shire Council has adopted its biggest urban strategic plan in 30 years, which identifies opportunities for new commercial and industrial development.
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The document is a blueprint for the future development of the town over the course of the next two decades.
It has been driven by a new gateway entrance earmarked for the eastern end of Gunnedah which identifies several commercial opportunities, as well as the realignment of the state road network with the joining of the Oxley and Kamilaroi highways, the proposed second rail overpass and Bloomfield Street being designated as a regional road and high mass load thoroughfare.
“Council want to ensure that development occurs in the right location in relation to future state road routes in Gunnedah,” Director of Planning and Environmental Services Mike Silver said.
“This is a town planning and business opportunities document. It focuses strongly on the entrances into the town.”
The document supports rezoning for a controlled business park zone at the eastern entrance from Tamworth on the corner of Boundary Road and Conadilly Street for commercial developments like car yards and other businesses that require larger floorspace areas.
There is potential for a roundabout at that intersection with a road extending off Bloomfield Street to meet the highway. Some of the land in the area would remain residential.
The document also supports plans for the south western gateway, from Coonabarabran near Blackjack Road and the Oxley Highway, that would become the principal industrial zone.
The Boggabri Road entrance has been earmarked as an industrial zone, with a DA now lodged for a service station near the former P.W. Brady & Sons pig saleyards. That zoning would allow for development to support the Oxley Highway roundabout with Warrabungle Street.
Council adopted the document at its last meeting, however any zoning proposal would still need to go through NSW Planning channels.
Mr Silver said council doesn’t want to diminish the viability of the existing CBD business zone however there is a need for greenfield sites for large commercial developments. The strategy also identifies future residential development areas with the main expansion to be west of Blackjack Creek.