Bunnings accused of ‘playing hardball’ over Tempe superstore amid traffic safety concerns

Local residents are up in arms about a proposed Bunnings superstore in Sydney’s inner west, with the hardware giant accused of playing “hardball”.

A proposed Bunnings superstore in Sydney’s inner west is at the centre of a political stoush between the local council and state government, which is accused of ignoring residents’ safety concerns.

The Inner West Council on Wednesday backed local residents in their battle over the Bunnings Tempe traffic plan, ahead of a key meeting of the NSW government’s Eastern Sydney Regional Planning Panel on Thursday.

Bunnings’ proposed superstore, located on the Princes Highway next to Ikea, would bring thousands of extra cars through the narrow adjoining streets every week, potentially endangering children at the nearby primary school.

In a video message last week posted by the Safe Traffic Plan for Bunnings Tempe Facebook page, Tempe Primary School vice-captain Lily Cobb asked to meet with Roads Minister Natalie Ward.

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“I’m really concerned about the new Bunnings they’re putting at the end of my street,” she said.

“The government is talking about sending thousands of cars down the narrow street and past the local school each day. I really want to meet with the Minister Natalie Ward so I can show her how narrow the street is and how dangerous this idea would be. There is a big meeting coming up so we don’t have much time to lose.”

Minister Natalie Ward, the Vice-Captain of Tempe Public School is URGENTLY requesting a meeting with you on our narrow...

Posted by Safe Traffic Plan for Bunnings Tempe on Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Inner West Councillors said in a statement that they were supporting the residents of Tempe and the students and families of Tempe Public School in urging the NSW Government to revisit the traffic management plan for the proposed Bunnings development in Tempe.

A traffic study conducted by the council showed there would be negative impacts on 15 local streets and 1600 cars per day down Union Street, past Tempe Primary School.

An aerial view of the proposed Bunnings at 728-750 Princes Highway.

The overall traffic on nearby narrow streets would triple, according to the study.

Local residents and the council say they welcome the new development but are urging the NSW government to add a set of traffic lights on the Princes Highway which will help to relieve the anticipated congestion and safety issues.

“Bunnings are playing hardball with residents in Tempe and looking for their megastore to be waved through without proper pedestrian safety measures being implemented,” Inner West mayor Darcy Byrne said in a statement.

“It’s crunch time now and we need the NSW government and Bunnings to act on the very reasonable requests from the local community for a signalised crossing.”

Local residents have been raising concerns about traffic safety.

They have also called on Ms Ward to visit the site in person.

“Tempe residents aren’t asking for much here,” Councillor Mat Howard said.

“All along, the community has been calling for a simple solution that is good for Bunnings and good for the people who live here, including the kids that use these streets each and every day to walk to school.”

Mr Howard said Ms Ward could “fix this problem with the stroke of a pen”.

“Transport for NSW has at least indicated a willingness to come back to the table if a further risk assessment and feasibility study is completed,” he said. “We’ve agreed to do that. We’re now calling on the Planning Panel to give us the chance to do this important work and then make a decision based on all the facts.”

It’s understood any decision on traffic lights sits with the road authority, which has knocked back the idea due to safety and network efficiency issues.

Ms Ward’s office directed inquiries to Transport for NSW.

“Transport for NSW is taking the community concerns seriously and has been working with Council and Bunnings to investigate options to satisfy the concerns raised by the residents, Public School and the community,” a spokesman said.

“Transport for NSW has put forward a concept proposal to Inner West Council to ban the through movement into Union Street from Smith Street, which would prevent vehicles from leaving the Bunnings site and using the route past the local school. Transport for NSW will continue to work with Inner West Council and Bunnings to find appropriate solutions that safely meet the needs of the community and road users.”

Andrew Marks, director of property and store development at Bunnings, said in a statement that since receiving development approval for the Tempe site in 2019 “we have followed all due process and complied with all the conditions set out in the approval”.

“As part of this process, council and its independent traffic consultant prepared a Local Area Traffic Management Plan (LATM), which outlines the safest possible traffic solution,” he said.

“The LATM incorporates feedback from local residents and includes a number of traffic safety and calming measures to reduce the impact on local roads and slow down traffic, such as the installation of speed humps and signage, traffic direction, and the prohibition of heavy vehicle access to certain streets.”

Mr Marks said while the plan was “developed and endorsed by both council officers and council’s traffic engineers in August 2021, we are yet to receive approval of the LATM from the council’s traffic committee, and we have received no indication as to when a final decision might be forthcoming”.

“To move the process forward, Bunnings lodged an application to have the matter decided by the Sydney Eastern City Planning Panel,” he said.

“We hope this will allow us to proceed with the approved development with the implementation of all the safety measures proposed in the LATM, to ensure the safe management of local traffic. We always welcome feedback from the community and it has been an important consideration as part of the Tempe development approval process over many years, through multiple public exhibition periods.”

The Tempe store represents an investment of around $100 million and would employ 200 people.