Yass Valley Council has approved the Bowning Service Centre planning proposal.
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KEY POINTS:
- The Bowning Service Centre will be located before the town, on the left hand side of the Hume Highway, travelling east.
- The planning proposal includes a convenience shop, fast food tenancies, 19 double-sided fuel dispensers and five electric car chargers.
- Albury-based developers, the Barker Group, will now put forward a development application for the service centre.
It was submitted by Albury-based developer, the Barker Group, at the beginning of 2017, and approved at council's ordinary meeting on February 27.
The proposal required approval from the NSW government to build the service centre in a RU1 Primary Production zone.
All present councillors voted in favour of council giving the approval on behalf of the Department of Planning, making an amendment to the Yass Valley LEP (Local Environmental Plan) 2013.
Cr Reid was not present at the meeting and Cr Abbey left the room while the decision was made, due to a conflict in interest.
A council report said existing service centres on the Hume, Federal and Barton Hwys are located in RU1 Primary Production zones. The land subject for the Bowning Service Centre is also not agriculturally productive.
The planning proposal suggests the service centre will be 19.63 hectares in size and accommodate vehicles travelling east on the Hume Highway.
It would include a convenience shop, truck dining (restaurant), retail tenancies (fast food) and dining area (fast food), plus 19 double-sided fuel dispensers and five spaces for electric cars to recharge.
These are subject to approval of a development application, which the Barker Group is now preparing.
The facilities would be rented out to multiple tenants, according to Andrew Curlewis, co-owner and licensed real estate agent of Yass Valley Property, which has been helping the Barker Group identify an appropriate site for its centre.
The planning proposal said there is a need for additional highway service facilities between Maryland and Gundagai.
"Currently, there are only three highway-facing highway service centres (HSC) located over the 100km stretch of the Hume Highway between Yass and Gundagai (at Gundagai South, Gundagai North and at the Yass Valley Way turnoff) and no HSCs between Yass and Marulan," the planning proposal said.
The Environment Protection Authority, Roads and Maritime Services, Office of Environment and Heritage and Department of Primary Industries - Water told council they have no objections to the proposal.
Mr Curlewis said the centre will create many jobs: "I think it will be very beneficial for both Bowning and Yass," he said.
