Business
15 September, 2026
Proposed Goulburn retail development back on council’s agenda
Plans for a significant retail development will be back on the agenda at tonight’s meeting of Goulburn-Mulwaree Council.
Plans for a significant retail development will be back on the agenda at tonight’s meeting of Goulburn-Mulwaree Council.
Council considered the development application for specialised retail premises at its April 2026 meeting and again at its June 2026 meeting but it was deferred on both occasions.
The June 2026 deferral was to allow the proponents “more time to address unresolved issues” primarily relating transport, traffic and signage.
A staff report prepared for Tuesday night’s meeting says a number of revised plans and documents have been received by council since the matter was considered in June.
The proposed changes include the creation of an additional lane to help manage queue times for vehicles turning left from Finlay Road into Hume Street.
One of council’s main concerns remains the impact of the proposed development on performance of the Finlay Roaf/Hume Street intersection.
Traffic for New South Wales (TfNSW) is investigating an upgrade of the intersection but is yet to secure funding for detailed design or construction and an upgrade is unlikely to occur for several years at a minimum.
Council staff say the intersection is currently operating at a “substandard level of service” and increased traffic from the proposed development would further reduce its performance.
Finlay Road is a council-owned asset and it is able to specify upgrade works (to Finlay Road) through conditions of consent.
However Hume Street is a TfNSW-controlled asset so council is unable to prescribe the scope of any upgrades and/or treatments (to Hume Street).
Instead it can only require the applicant to engage directly with TfNSW to determine and implement any necessary works and/or treatments.
Dealer principal at Goulburn Country Motors, David Albrighton isn’t convinced the staff recommendations will adequately address the traffic safety issue.
Mr Albrighton – who addressed council’s public forum on Tuesday night (September 8) – said he supported development and he supported this particular proposal – but adding an extra lane in Finlay Road wouldn’t resolve the underlying issue
He said accidents happened at the intersection “on a regular basis” and the proposed retail development had the potential to increase the risk of crashes.
“What happens if we get this wrong?” he asked councillors on Tuesday night.
“‘I told you so’ could mean another serious injury or even worse a fatality.”
Paul Anderson from P.M Anderson Consulting – speaking at Tuesday night’s public forum on behalf of the applicant – acknowledged that the Finlay Road/Hume Street intersection was substandard.
He argued that the proposed retail development would have an impact on the intersection but it would not be adverse.
He said talks were already underway with TfNSW in relation to any potential works in Hume Street and the applicant was continuing to seek approval for direct access to the development from Hume Street via a service station which has already been approved.
Most parties agree that direct access via Hume Street would help reduce pressure on the Finlay Road/Hume Street intersection.
A number of tenants have already been secured for the proposed retail development including Harvey Norman, Pet Stock, Spotlight, Rebel and Cellarbrations.
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