Portion of Brebner Drive at West Lakes sold to developers and shut to traffic

Brebner Drive at West Lakes attracts plenty of traffic feeding into the local shopping centre – but a portion will be shut off to traffic from next week.

A portion of Brebner Drive at West Lakes will be closed to traffic. Pic: Supplied

A busy thoroughfare in West Lakes will close after it was sold to developers to help fund the area’s new library and community hub.

From Tuesday next week (June 29) the section of Brebner Drive alongside the Grange Golf Club – located between ALDI and Turner Drive – will permanently close.

The alternate route between Fredrick Road and Turner Drive will be via West Lakes Boulevard or the new road Troubridge Drive through the WEST development.

Charles Sturt Council released a statement this week saying ownership of the road will be sold to the developer of WEST (Commercial & General) who will develop the road into residential land allotments, with the sale of this section of road enabling council to fund $3.2m towards the development of the new West Lakes Library and Community Centre currently under construction.

“This facility will be purpose built to support the needs of the growing local community,” the statement read.

Funds from the sale of a portion of Brebner Drive will go towards the new $20m community hub at the former Football Park site at West Lakes, which is currently under construction. Picture: Supplied

Commercial & General’s WEST project director Dwayne Erich said the closure of Brebner Drive to create a linear park is a fundamental part of the WEST Masterplan and had been included in the planning since 2014.

“Its inclusion followed comprehensive community engagement conducted at the outset by both Commercial & General and the City of Charles Sturt,” he said.

“We understand community interest whenever there are changes to existing roads. However, the establishment of a new alternative route via Troubridge Drive will continue to service the community.”

Mr Erich said as part of Commercial & General’s works, the company will also be constructing a new shared pedestrian and cyclist path between the development and Grange Golf Course.

“This will create significantly improved public amenity for use by the broader local community,” he said.

“WEST is already home to more than 600 residents and is adding enormous vibrancy and benefits for the surrounding communities.”

But Cheltenham MP Joe Szakacs questioned the wisdom of diverting traffic into a residential development via Troubridge Drive, rather than the present path that runs alongside the Grange Golf Course.

“A lot of people have been taken by surprise by this,” he said.

“It seems to be a somewhat confusing decision, to move traffic right into a new residential development and away from a busy road feeding into a major shopping centre.”