West Mackay locals furious over Bruce Highway service station development

A new service station proposal has baffled its potential neighbours, who have started an objection campaign saying there is no need and no benefit in its approval.

West Mackay resident Gerard Muscat has started an objection petition to a proposed servo on Lagoon St and Nebo Rd. Photo: Zoe Devenport

Plans for a new service station have been met with passionate rejection from several residents who neighbour the property.

Gerard Muscat lives just off Lagoon Street in West Mackay and said he was “disgusted” to see a servo proposed on its intersection with the Bruce Highway.

He and his neighbours have mounted a campaign encouraging others to sign their objection letter to Mackay Regional Council.

As reported by the Daily Mercury in December, the new servo would require tearing down three houses to sit in a location several residents consider unsuitable.

Mr Muscat, whose property backs onto those houses, said when he first found out, he thought the company behind the proposed development would “never prove” the need for what would be the 20th fuel stop within six kilometres.

Proposal plans for a new Bruce Highway service station built on 214, 216 Nebo Road and 2 Lagoon Street, West Mackay. Photo: Contributed

“We all laughed and said there’s no chance in the world that a service station will ever get approved there,” Mr Muscat said.

“It’s not only that they’re going to become my neighbour, (but) the safety for my grandkid’s age group.

“I don’t wanna hear the screeching of brakes and race out there and find some poor child jammed under a car.”

With the help of fellow West Mackay resident and former Road Accident Action Group co-ordinator Graeme Ransley, Mr Muscat wrote up an objection letter and printed out about 35 copies.

Taking his petitions, he walked the length of Lagoon St to “make sure that it’s not just me” and said almost every house took a copy.

Proposal plans for a new Bruce Highway service station built on 214, 216 Nebo Road and 2 Lagoon Street, West Mackay. Photo: Contributed

Council Development Services director Aletta Nugent said the project’s public notification period continued until February 27, the deadline for Mr Muscat and others to submit their concerns.

“Should any members of public wish to have their say on the development, a submission can be made to council via email or in writing,” Ms Nugent said.

“Following the public notification period, council will review the submissions received and consider these as part of the decision-making process.”

Mr Muscat’s submission details 29 concerns including the high accident risk at an already congested intersection, impacts on residential amenity, inconsistencies with planning schemes, and pollution from noise to waste to water.

A proposed service station on Nebo Rd and Lagoon St has been subject to several objections from the public. Photo: Zoe Devenport

Just across Lagoon St are the Nebo Road Water Treatment Plant and the Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens, the latter being a key worry for residents who moved to the area for its natural splendour.

Kath and Bill Bath bought their Lagoon St home “simply because it is a quiet and peaceful area and in close proximity to the beautiful Botanical Gardens”.

“If a service station is to go ahead, we will have 24/7 smell and noise and increase in traffic,” they said.

Proposal plans for a new Bruce Highway service station built on 214, 216 Nebo Road and 2 Lagoon Street, West Mackay. Photo: Contributed

“Mackay water treatment plant is directly across the road from the proposed site, and we hold grave concerns of long-term contamination.”

Another Lagoon St resident, Linda Grima, claimed there would be “significant environmental impacts (if) there’s going to be lights on all night (for) a lot of birdlife at the gardens”.

“There’s just an overkill in the number of servos we have on the south side”, Ms Grima said.

“How many more do we need?”