Wagga Aboriginal Land Council's proposed subdivision at Uranquinty will go to a Wagga City Council workshop before a decision is made

Wagga Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) wanted to subdivide its Uranquinty block into 24 smaller lots, but village residents opposed the move saying it wouldn’t fit in with the surrounding area.

The vacant block, between King and Best Streets in the village, had been vacant for decades but remained zoned for residential development. A report from Wagga City Council staff noted several objections to the proposal, including lot sizes, a poor fit with the character of the village and the “unnecessary removal of native vegetation”.

Adrianna Campbell told Monday night’s Wagga City Council meeting that Uranquinty residents didn’t oppose development as long as it included larger blocks.

“Not one block south of Uranquintry Street has more than 16 homes on it… (LALC should) justify how 24 homes on this block would fit the character and surrounds of Uranquinty,” Mrs Campbell said. “One of the reasons people move (to Uranquinty) is for the bigger blocks and village lifestyle. There’s a lack of respect for the residents of Uranquinty and our type of lifestyle.”

Neighbouring blocks generally featured 40 metre frontages and were about 2000 square metres in size, twice as big as the largest proposed lots. However, planning consultant Garry Salvestro said a “village atmosphere” wasn’t solely determined by numbers on a plan.

“You can still have the village character with 20 metre frontages and they already occur in the village,” Mr Salvestro said. “This type of development is not prohibited in that area and although we recognise those concerns the village character will still be achieved.”

Mr Salvestro also pointed out that while opponents had concerns about the capacity of existing water, power and sewer utilities, the development would actually improve those utilities.

“This development would bring improved sewer, improved water, it goes hand in hand with progress in the area and allowing development,” he said. “Ultimately everyone will be better off in terms of service provision and increasing the population will help businesses and schools survive. The developers haven’t gone trying to squeeze as much as they can on the block.”

When asked by The Daily Advertiser why the LALC wanted to develop the block, chief executive Lorraine Lyons said the eventual sale of the lots would fund much-needed programs.

“We’re asset-rich and cash poor,” Ms Lyons said. “This is about getting funds into the community to provide assistance. We’ve got the building now to do it and we want to set up a keeping place to preserve our culture and heritage, a men’s shed to share skills and some programs for our youth.”

During the debate on Monday night, deputy mayor Dallas Tout told councillors he would not even consider voting for the subdivision if it featured more than 12 lots.

“I live in a village, you can only understand the amenity of a village if you line in one,” he said. “Just plopping down what’s acceptable in an urban area isn’t appropriate for me.”

But former mayor Rod Kendall successfully put forward an amendment to have the matter deferred until councillors could meet with staff for a workshop.

“We need a better understanding before we make a decision,” he said.