Ulladulla traffic: ‘Nightmare’ congestion forestalls future retail developments

Construction of new retail outlets in a busy south coast town are being held back by worsening traffic congestion, with one local councillor labelling the area an “absolute nightmare”.

Future retail projects in a busy south coast town have been thrown into doubt after local councillors voted to stall a planned Bunnings warehouse over concerns the project would worsen ‘nightmare’ traffic congestion.

Plans for the new outlet in Ulladulla came before Shoalhaven City Council in their ordinary session on February 21, but were shelved in a unanimous vote, with councillors instead seeking advice from Transport for NSW.

The popular trades store was slated to be built at 2 Parsons St, adjacent to the busy Princes Highway.

To allow for entry into the store, councillors agreed a new roundabout would need to be created, further slowing traffic already often backed up beyond the town boundary during busy periods because of congestion at an existing roundabout nearby, opposite a McDonalds.

Councillor Liza Butler travels through the area every day for work, and said she was often held up by congestion.

“That roundabout is already an absolute nightmare,” she said.

Plans for a new Bunnings store on the Prices Highway in Ulladulla have stoked controversy over fears the project would worsen traffic woes

“People are going in there trying to turn into McDonalds, and if there’s too many cars in the driveway, it stops traffic everywhere.”

A second development application submitted to the council in January for the other end of Parsons St would see a BCF store and two fast food stores being built nearby, including one with a drive thru.

According to the Shoalhaven City Council website, no decision has been made on the application.

In Monday’s session, the council was told both applications had submitted independent traffic modelling, which addressed the impact the developments would have on the state-run Princes Highway.

For Cnr Butler, that wasn’t enough.

She told the council she was not satisfied that an appropriate study had been done, including modelling between the two roundabouts.

“They‘ve done individual studies from what I gather, but not one considering the two applications together,” she said.

Plans for a new BCF store and two fast food stores on the Prices Highway in Ulladulla have been submitted to the Shoalhaven City Council

“That’s what we need to assess: the whole Princes Highway, as well as the off-roads.”

The project has also faced opposition from the community.

Councillor Patricia White said councillors had been given notes and signatures before Monday’s session from concerned residents, some of whom live near the development.

“There were quite a few signatures on a page to say that they objected to this development, and who also had a lot of large questions,” she said.

Cnr White pointed to the provision of parking for trucks making deliveries to the new Bunnings site as a point of concern.

“The last thing we want is these trucks parked on the highway,” she said.

Councillors also raised concerns over the height of the project, which had been submitted to be 16 per cent higher than council limits, as well as the protection of existing tress on the lot.

Both issues have also been deferred.