By Jackson Russell
Mitchell Shire councillors took a stand against housing developments with one road in and out, which has become a focal point for council when assessing new planning permits.
At an August 2018 council meeting, Mayor Bill Chisholm issued a notice of motion for officers to prepare a report on whether council has given appropriate consideration to the provision of multiple entry and exit points to large subdivisions following a previous notice of motion from April 2015.
Council is currently preparing a planning scheme review, which will provide the opportunity for council to bolster access and egress requirements.
Central ward councillor Annie Goble said ensuring multiple points of entry and exit was something councillors had raised on numerous occasions.
“We want to have access and egress for safety reasons. It’s something we want included in the Mitchell Planning Scheme. It’s the first thing we look at with new developments,” she said.
“We want it embedded in the scheme and make sure our staff look at that when considering planning permits.”
North ward councillor Fiona Stevens said the issue was the bane of councillors existence.
“It’s just a nightmare. We have to look at how new developments fit with surrounding developments and how to get people out of them safely,” she said.
“We must get it through to developers that we expect a safe standard of development and won’t accept anything less.”
