PLANS for the city’s new $4.65 million ambulance station have been approved by Bathurst Regional Council.
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The station will be constructed on vacant land at 6 Commonwealth Street, next to Bathurst PCYC.
The new station will include 10 internal ambulance parking spaces, three external ambulance parking spaces, an internal wash bay and an external service bay.
Twenty car parking spaces, including one accessible space, will also be located on the site.
The site’s internal facilities will include administration and storage spaces, along with lockers, showers, toilets, showers, kitchen and common rooms.
During public exhibition of the development application (DA), council received two submissions about traffic concerns at the intersection of Durham and Commonwealth streets, and odour concerns due to the site’s close proximity to the sewerage treatment plant.
The Australian Paramedics Association also raised odour concerns when the plans were revealed in September last year.
The DA’s Statement of Environmental Effects (SoEE) detailed a number of measures that would be taken to minimise odours.
“[The] Odour Assessment recommends planting is provided along the north-western and north-eastern site boundaries to provide screening and filtering of odour emissions from Bathurst Sewage Treatment Plant,” the SoEE states.
A variety of trees and perfumed shrubs are proposed to help provide screening and provide a natural masking fragrance.
- Statement of Environmental Effects
“A variety of trees and perfumed shrubs are proposed to help provide screening and provide a natural masking fragrance.”
The development and new station would have “relatively minor impacts on the operation of the intersection of Durham Street [and] Commonwealth Street,” the Transport Impact Assessment conducted by GTA Consultants states.
“Overall, it is not anticipated that the traffic generation associated with the proposed ambulance station will be detrimental to the existing traffic operations surrounding the site,” the report states.