Dubbo Regional Council knocked back a service station development application

The council first made the decision to knock back the development in April 2021 but because the proponent requested a 'review of determination', they had to go back through the application process.

The proposed service station would consist of four single bowsers and a convenience store. There were no work bays or restaurant components proposed. On-site parking would be available for nine cars, including one accessible space.

The station also included a left-in entry and left-in exit for access off Cobbora Road and a classified road to be maintained by Transport for NSW, in addition to an upgraded vehicle entry and exit via White Street.

TfNSW wrote to Dubbo Regional Council on March 13 not supporting the proposed development.

In their correspondence with the council they said they were "not satisfied that the proposed plans and supporting documents satisfactorily address concerns raised previously".

"Specifically, it has not been demonstrated that the proposed development, including an egress onto Cobbora Road, will be able to operate without causing significant risk to road safety and traffic efficiency," they wrote.

DRC chief executive officer Murray Wood said TfNSW was against the driveways going onto the highway given the proximity to the railway crossing.

"That then had the proponent looking at doing it on a local road and once it's off the highway that's our local road, but effectively that created problems at a really tight intersection with no distances," he said.

According to a report by DRC director environment Stephen Wallace, it said there was a history of rear end crashes as well as queuing on Cobbora Road as drivers approached the rail level crossing and were turning right into White Street.

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"There is existing vehicle queuing on the railway crossing that poses a risk to rail and has been flagged by Australian Rail Track Corporation," Mr Wallace's report read.

"The additional increase in turning traffic across the railway crossing as a consequence of the development is considered to impact on the already identified road safety environment at the railway crossing and White Street intersection."

Council's traffic engineer Dennis Valentine said the initial proposal was to have an entry and exit onto Cobbora Road but after analysis was completed it was found to be a bad idea.

"Traffic would be coming from Cobbora Road going into the petrol station and then coming on to White Street, then having to get back on to Cobbora Road by crossing White Street and engaging with White Street traffic, I mean attempting to queue at the Cobbora Road right intersection and then join the westbound traffic flows," he explained.

"From that perspective and our local road aspect it's generally not acceptable that we have to burden White Street and in effect create additional turning movements and within the context of road safety and traffic management it would just increase the risk of more traffic conflict."

Mr Valentine said looking at the bigger picture the intersection was problematic and in the future Cobbora road should have four lanes between Myall Street and the level crossing.

"Obviously we'll improve the capacity of the future traffic volumes through that area, and it would also probably involve traffic signals and a realignment of White Street integrated with level crossing signals," he said.