Tuggerah: Proposed Home Co expansion scores an unsatisfactory “F” in traffic report
A $30m bulk retail centre across the road from Bunnings Tuggerah will result in “unsatisfactory” traffic delays. But the proponent thinks an $835,000 footpath can fix it. Here’s how.
Central Coast
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Stage two plans to further expand the Home Co centre across the road from Bunnings at Tuggerah will result in “unsatisfactory” delays for motorists, according to its own traffic report.
But the proponent believes extending an existing footpath from Bunnings, over Tuggerah Creek, to the train station will be enough to offset the massive delays facing motorists should the development go ahead.
One of Australia’s largest real estate investment trusts, HMC Capital, is the proponent behind the proposed $29.9m bulk retail Home Co expansion at Tuggerah.
The first stage of the development application (DA) for the 5.5ha site at 11 Bryant Drive was first lodged in 2019 and approved three years later by the Local Planning Panel.
It has undergone a few amendments since then, including the removal of two trendy “food pads” in favour of a stand-alone restaurant and a significant rejig of the layout, which saw the obtuse angles of the large format buildings scrapped in favour of more conventional 90-degree right angles.
The change trimmed the floor space of the buildings ever so slightly — by just four square metres — but made for a more cost-effective build and a more economical use of the land, which resulted in an increase of 85 carparking spaces.
The amendment was approved as “substantially the same development” because the bulk, height and setbacks of the three buildings remained the same.
Two years later and the site fences have only just gone up along with preliminary earthworks.
Now another DA has been lodged for Stage 2 of the proposal, which includes a fourth building with a retail floor space of almost 7000sq m, a 2000sq m loading dock at the back and a new driveway access onto Lake Rd opposite the Regional Sports Complex.
But a traffic report states not only will Stage 1 of the project result in “unsatisfactory” delays for motorists trying to access Wyong Rd but Stage 2 would make it worse.
The report states the most useful measure of an intersection is the average delay expressed in seconds per vehicle, with anything over 70 seconds given an “F” or unsatisfactory rating.
According to the report, motorists on Bryant Drive trying to access Wyong Rd would face delays of 80 seconds after Stage 1 of the project is finished and 85 seconds after Stage 2.
But the delays are modelled on the average afternoon weekday peak hour rather than weekends when people are trying to get to Bunnings, the existing Home Co centre or during major events at the Regional Sports Complex around the corner on Lake Rd.
However HMC Capital states given the cost to upgrade the roundabout at the intersection of Bryant Dive and Wyong Rd was estimated at more than $30m, it would be unreasonable for this project to fully fund the work.
Instead, HMC Capital is proposing to extend an existing footpath at the back of Bunnings across Tuggerah Creek to the train station.
Its traffic report states this would improve “active transport links to the area” and “provide alternative access to Stage 2 by modes other than car”.
HMC Capital commissioned its builder Dewcape Constructions to prepare a preliminary cost estimate for the footpath extension, including a pedestrian bridge over Tuggerah Creek, which came in at $835,000.
The DA for Stage 2 remains on public exhibition.