Addendum Agenda of Ordinary Meeting

Ordinary Meeting

Meeting Date: Tuesday, 25 January, 2022

Location: Council Chambers, City Administrative Building, Bridge Road, Nowra

Time: 5.00pm

Membership (Quorum - 7)

All Councillors

Addendum Agenda

Notices of Motion / Questions on Notice

CL22.12....... Notice of Motion - Yalwal Road - West Nowra............................................... 1

CL22.13....... Notice of Motion - Prioritise Infrastructure and Recreational Facilities Upgrade Program for West Nowra................................................................................ 2

CL22.14....... Notice of Motion - Princes Highway - Back the By-pass............................... 4

Addendum Agenda - Ordinary Meeting – Tuesday 25 January 2022

Page 1

CL22.12 Notice of Motion - Yalwal Road - West Nowra

HPERM Ref: D22/23678

Submitted by: Clr Serena Copley

Purpose / Summary

The following Notice of Motion, of which due notice has been given, is submitted for Council’s consideration.

Recommendation

That Shoalhaven City Council:

1. Recognise the urgent need to upgrade Yalwal Road, West Nowra in order to improve safety for the communities of West Nowra and Mundamia and to ensure this important service road is of a suitable standard to support the increasing traffic flow from growing communities, and to access to sites such as The University of Shoalhaven Campus, the West Nowra Recycling and Waste Depot and other local businesses;

2. Prioritise the commencement of works for Yalwal Road by immediately commencing necessary investigatory studies and works to scope required upgrades;

3. Investigate funding sources from Commonwealth and NSW Government grant programs; and

4. Provide a report to Councillors on the above at the following Ordinary Council meeting.

Background

West Nowra has seen significant population growth over the last decade and a shortage of infrastructure has been highlighted by local residents. As a result, Yalwal Road has seen significant degradation in the standard of the surface in many areas with eroding shoulders and a patched and repaired surface that poses a traffic hazard.

The traffic flow is significantly increasing with multiple additional dwellings being constructed and more and more cars using the road.

Heavy traffic has also significantly increased and with the recent approval of additional waste facilities the traffic flow will only create more traffic and wear and tear on this busy road will increase.

Significant development is proposed for the Mundamia area and it is important that Council has the foresight to ensure that appropriate access to these developments is provided.

Addendum Agenda - Ordinary Meeting – Tuesday 25 January 2022

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CL22.13 Notice of Motion - Prioritise Infrastructure and Recreational Facilities Upgrade Program for West Nowra

HPERM Ref: D22/23707

Submitted by: Clr Serena Copley

Purpose / Summary

The following Notice of Motion, of which due notice has been given, is submitted for Council’s consideration.

Recommendation

That Shoalhaven City Council:

1. Prioritise as a matter of urgency an upgrade to infrastructure and recreational facilities for West Nowra;

2. Provide Councillors with a report detailing allocated funding in the current and future budgets of Council which addresses the lack of facilities available to residents and visitors to West Nowra that currently pose a severe risk to safety and restrictions to quality of lifestyle;

3. Acknowledge the need for community improvements to provide West Nowra residents and visitors with facilities available in many other villages in the Shoalhaven, including but not be limited to:-

a. To immediately undertake the construction of footpaths along Yalwal Road to allow vulnerable and elderly motor scooters users safe passage into Nowra CBD rather than the current situation of navigating Yalwal Road near heavy vehicles. To also allow safe passage for parents and guardians with infants in prams through the village and to access childcare locations.

b. To investigate the upgrade of the Depot Farm Picnic area to provide picnic facilities as the name suggests and offer more suitable parking access. To provide a recreational area of a standard more suitable to the area adjacent to one of the Shoalhaven's most popular and well-known scenic walks - Bens Walk.

Background

Currently, West Nowra does not have a recreation facility of a suitable standard for the many families that now reside there. The loosely named Depot Farm Picnic Area has no picnic facilities and often has dumped vehicles that are not removed for many months. This area is at the end of Bens Walk a well-known and popular scenic walk that attracts both locals and visitors to the area. Currently, it appears to be neglected, and not of an acceptable standard. This area would provide West Nowra with a significant green space if maintained to a higher standard, that would offer recreational opportunities to many families.

The lack of footpaths in West Nowra is a significant concern to me as the elderly and most vulnerable of our society that relies on moving via motorised scooters are forced onto the busy Yalwal Road to navigate their way into the Nowra CBD. This must be rectified immediately.

West Nowra is a growing community with significant development planned but unfortunately, to date has not seen the investment required to support both safety features and living standards taken for granted in other villages. It is imperative the SCC acknowledged these oversights and immediately commences planning for these important upgrades

Addendum Agenda - Ordinary Meeting – Tuesday 25 January 2022

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CL22.14 Notice of Motion - Princes Highway - Back the By-pass

HPERM Ref: D22/23651

Submitted by: Clr Paul Ell

Purpose / Summary

The following Notice of Motion, of which due notice has been given, is submitted for Council’s consideration.

Recommendation

That

1. Shoalhaven City Council strongly supports the construction of a bypass of the township of Nowra and hereby adopts the position that delivery of this project is our City’s highest priority. Council commits to lobbying the NSW and Commonwealth Governments to commit to funding and delivering this project.

2. A ‘Back the Bypass’ Action Group (“the Action Group”) is to be formed comprised of the following: - Mayor - All Councillors - CEO or nominee - Representative from South Coast Tourism Industry Association - Additional community representatives as determined by the Committee

3. In supporting the Bypass, Council reaffirms its commitment improved active transport infrastructure and the ongoing development of the local road network to alleviate traffic pressures in and around Nowra.

4. The Action Group is tasked with the following:

a. Preparing a plan for a community driven public pressure “Back the Bypass” campaign to support Council’s position of support for the bypass. This campaign is to include the development of marketing and communication materials for Council to distribute.

b. A City-wide household survey measuring the experience of Shoalhaven residents travelling on the Princes Highway. Households are to be asked to share how often they experience delays whilst using the Princes Highway.

c. The making of representations to State and Federal elected representatives and candidates to encourage their support for the Bypass.

d. Other initiatives to further support the objective of building the Nowra Bypass.

e. The CEO will meet the costs of the Back the Bypass campaign from within existing administrative budgets.

5. Where there isn’t any recent data available, Council is to undertake studies to measure the current impacts of increased traffic volumes on local roads along the highway corridor in the Central Shoalhaven.

Background

Nowra is being choked with traffic. Every single week, businesses and residents are being severely impacted by long queues of traffic routinely banking up just South of Berry on a Friday afternoon and again heading North from as far South as the Jervis Bay Road turn off. The status quo simply cannot stand and now is the time for action. In resisting calls for a Nowra Bypass in recent years, the Transport for NSW have relied on outdated traffic studies indicating that approximately 85% of the traffic passing through Nowra is local and not seeking to bypass the town. However, this rationale is flawed and is no longer a justification for not moving ahead with this project.

Until recently, there were plausible arguments against a Bypass due to fact that typically traffic through Nowra would only present as a significant inconvenience to local residents during peak holiday periods. However, the community knows all too well that this is no longer the case.

There is no dispute that the Shoalhaven has been a beneficiary of significant NSW Government funding for the Princes Highway. The Gerringong upgrade, the Berry Bypass and the Albion Park Rail bypass have made a considerable difference to the safety and reliability of the Princes Highway. Once complete, the Berry to Bomaderry Upgrade and the replacement Shoalhaven River Crossing will provide additional safety and reliability as part of our Highway network in the Shoalhaven.

The commitment by the NSW Government to upgrade the Jervis Bay Road interchange and the contribution by the Commonwealth Government to this project the Shoalhaven River Bridge Project and the upgrade of the Princes Highway south of Jervis Bay Road, also need commendation and acknowledgement.

As the Princes Highway has been progressively upgraded up and down the South Coast, this has attracted more and more visitors to our region- for weekends and even day trips. With uncertainty concerning international travel likely to continue for several years, the Shoalhaven will very much remain on the radar of domestic tourists.

This is supported by data compiled in the latest ‘South Coast Visitor Profile’ (up to June 2021) from DestinationNSW which shows the following trends:

- The Travel Season is now almost evenly divided between Summer (29%), Autumn (25%) and Spring (29%). Winter (17%) understandably is the least popular time to travel. This indicates that visitor patronage to the South Coast is consistent throughout most of the year.

- Tourism expenditure on the South Coast has increased by nearly 19% year on year

- Tourists are typically staying for more nights during their visit extending the amount of time that local roads are under pressure.

Currently the series of traffic lights through Bomaderry and Nowra (starting at the Bolong Road intersection) are the first set of traffic lights on the Highway south of Heathcote. The absence of a bypass of Nowra is also having significant impacts on other local roads not built to carry this number of cars and trucks.

With a Federal Election just a matter of months away, and Gilmore again likely to be critical to the outcome, we have an important opportunity to make the case on behalf of our community for this critical project to be funded. There is no other project more important for the future of the Shoalhaven than the Nowra Bypass and it is appropriate for Council to advocate for it on behalf of local residents and businesses. Put simply, the Nowra Bypass’ time has come.