Bunnings request permission for Pearson Street exit at future $24m Wagga warehouse

Bunnings has requested Wagga City Council modify its consent conditions for the 18,000 square metre warehouse, earmarked for the corner of the Sturt Highway and Pearson Street, to allow for more exit points.

The council approved the application for the substantial development in December 2021, but with the condition one of the only exits to the 400 space carpark would be through Saxon Street - a small road which connects to the south side of the plot.

In other news

Acting on behalf of Bunnings, town planner Aaron Sutherland has submitted a request to modify the restrictions to allow for an additional exit point for customers on Pearson Street.

He said funnelling all vehicles from the hardware store through Saxon Street would create serious traffic issues.

"The current approval requires all customers wishing to leave Bunnings to undertake the arduous and counter-intuitive trek around the rear of the building," Mr Sutherland wrote.

"This compresses the entirely of all Bunnings egress traffic into a convoluted and inconvenient egress pathway which is considered a poor traffic planning outcome."

The only other customer exit currently permitted for the development is a merging lane onto the Sturt Highway heading out of Wagga.

Mr Sutherland argued the majority of customers would want to head east toward the city's CBD after leaving Bunnings - making the highway exit inconvenient for them and forcing them down Saxon Street.

The council rejected the original request for an exit on Pearson Street due to fears it would create major congestion at the nearby roundabout.

Specifically, there were concerns many cars leaving the Bunnings would turn left onto Pearson Street and then make a u-turn at the Sturt Highway roundabout to then head south toward Glenfield Park.

Bunnings' request to modify the conditions includes modelling conducted by Transport and Traffic Planning Associates which suggests the exit would not create any issues at the intersection.

Wagga City Council has placed the request to allow a Pearson Street exit at the Bunnings site on public exhibition until October 7.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: