February 21, 2013
Kingaroy will get another child care centre and some more shops after the South Burnett Regional Council gave the go-head this week for the construction of a new complex on three lots on the corner of Kingaroy Street and Mirage Avenue, opposite Taabinga State School.
The construction of a child care centre and shops had been part of the original plan for the Oasis residential development (now known as Taabinga Downs).
The SBRC gave the go-ahead to the proposal subject to a number of conditions:
- Reducing the proposed combined floor area of the shops to 141sq m
- Adding a 2m wide landscape buffer to the northern side and rear boundaries of the site
- Having a minimum 6m setback from the Kingaroy Street and Mirage Avenue frontages
- Siting the complex’s bin storage area 2m from the northern and western side boundaries, encased behind a 1.8m high solid screen fence.
A 1.5m wide concrete footpath will also be constructed along the Kingaroy Street frontage; the property’s lighting will be designed so that it doesn’t directly illuminate any nearby premises or roadways; and each of the shops will have a maximum 15m street frontage with variations in scale, materials and colour.
A minimum of 23 car parking spaces and one truck space will also be included in the development.
Council officers said the aim of the conditions was to reduce any impacts on the amenity of the surrounding residential area.
As part of the development, the Council also proposes to relocate the existing Booth Street pedestrian crossing a block closer to the school once the complex is built.
Cr Damien Tessmann said he agreed with moving the pedestrian crossing but he would also like to see parking banned on the residential side of Kingaroy Street opposite the school.
“I have my heart in my mouth every time I drive past Taabinga State School during school hours,” he said.
“There are usually cars parked on both sides of the street and sometimes there’s barely more than a lane’s worth of clearance between them.”
He said while he knew the new complex would have car parking spaces, in his opinion it was likely at least some patrons would park on the roadside, further increasing the congestion.
However, his suggestion to introduce a parking ban lapsed for want of a seconder.
