The land council’s development application to turn a 2.15 hectare vacant block of land into 20 separate lots was withdrawn from debate at Monday’s Wagga council meeting.

A previous application for a 24-lot subdivision on the same block was deferred by councillors for further evaluation in March.

Wagga Aboriginal Land Council chief executive Lorraine Lyons said the group intended to either on-sell the subdivided land to help fund its programs or use it for social housing.

“It has been a long time coming and we have spent a lot of money (on the application),” she said.

“We haven’t spoken to the general manager or the mayor or the council yet.”

“(The subdivision) is to fund programs towards community and social issues, to be able to assist in cultural heritage and the Keeping Place.

“Our resources are very limited, it is to help us give back to our community and to run programs to assist with a lot of the problems that are occurring. It’s very important to our future direction”

The block of land is located within Uranquinty’s residential area and north-west of the railway and Olympic Highway between King ans Best streets, about 16 kilometres south-east of Wagga.

Despite the modifications, Council staff had again recommended to councillors that they refuse the application as it did not fit with planing zones and the 2010 Wagga Wagga Development Control Plan.

There was also concern that the subdivision would result in the removal of 14 trees and other native vegetation.

A report to councillors noted that Uranquinty had been treating the vacant block as a reserve. 

The item was withdrawn from the agenda prior to a vote on Monday and council general manager Peter Thompson told councillors that the applicant was reviewing the lot layout and the number of lots.

“That may provide a solution to the issues that are identified which are in the report,” Mr Thomson said,

“On that basis I would seek to withdraw that report and present it to council once that application is modified with the new lot layout.”

Uranquinty residents have opposed the subdivision’s plot density and potential impact on the village’s character since the application was first filed.

Uranquinty Progress Association president Deb Bewick said something should be done with the vacant block but it would have to match the planning rules and the rest of the village.

“It would be lovely to have the block developed as it has not been maintained over the years,” she said.

“We have quite often had issues with long grass becoming a fire hazard and you have the snakes in that little bit of bushland in the middle of the village.

“We do actually want it developed; we don’t want overdeveloped.”

Ms Bewick also said there were concerns about drainage in the development application and its possible impact on Uranquinty’s official village status.