Residents oppose $30 million West Ballina development

"IT WOULD be an irresponsible (traffic) situation... someone is going to get killed there".

A GROUP of West Ballina residents have detailed their objections to a $30M development proposal.

The application for a 300-lot home estate at River St and Burns Point Ferry Road by GemLife is currently on exhibition until today (June 10) at Ballina Shire Council after being submitted last March.

The project is for an over-50s resort facility with 300 lots, is about 56 hectares, with a developable area of 14 hectares.

The proponent, GemLife, also has plans for a similar facility at Skennars Head.

The residents met this week to detail their objections to the project in the areas of water and flooding issues, the amount of traffic that the project will introduce to the area, consequences of height variation, environmental concerns and further restrictions to residents living in the area today.

This video by resident Jim Britton shows the site of the development proposal after a storm in July 2019.

One of the main objections is the fact that the entrance to the new estate will be a T-intersection in Burns Point Ferry Rd.

John Chaseling and Marilyn Chaseling live opposite the site the T-intersection would be located and fear it will be a traffic hazard.

"It would be an irresponsible situation putting a right-hand turn off Burns Point Ferry Rd for potentially 600 cars in the morning and the afternoon, someone is going to get killed there," Mr Chaseling said.

"As people come down from the roundabout, people already do not respect the 60km/h zone, so if someone is trying to turn right in the afternoon to go into that subdivision, it will be looking directly into the sun, with traffic coming from the ferry, other traffic backing up behind them, and there will be more accidents there than in the whole of Ballina."

The residents understand the location of the entrance to the subdivision was dictated by the council, and are unhappy about it.

Being an area prone to flooding, residents feel that the development would have a detrimental effect on their properties in terms of drainage and water on the road.

In her submission to council, resident Teresa Dodd detailed floodwater, drainage, traffic, noise and environmental concerns regarding the proposal.

"There are serious concern about the environmental impact on the rare brolgas that migrate to the creek each year, and on the osprey and other raptors that fish along the creek," Mrs Dodd added in her submission.

"I also understand some of the lots shown in the plan do not meet the minimum size requirements laid down by council."

Read more:

• 30 million over-50s luxury resort planned for Ballina