8 Connemara Drive worship proposal deferred as Gorman Road access is examined

A proposed place of public worship at 8 Connemara Drive, Orange, remains undecided after the Planning & Development Policy Committee deferred DA 152/2026(1) to review access to the site.

Councillors questioned why a request for vehicle access to the rear of the property from Gorman Road had been refused. Council staff said a Section 88B restriction on the land title prevents that access and creates a legal impediment to changing the arrangement.

Staff said the restriction was imposed when the surrounding subdivision was created. Council engineering staff had determined that access from Gorman Road would increase the impact on traffic. Restrictions on the rear of the lots were also intended to provide a landscape buffer for adjoining residential areas.

There is a process for varying a title restriction at the applicant’s request. No timeframe was given for reviewing access or bringing the application back. Cr K Duffy asked how long a review of street access under the Section 88B instrument would take, and the question was taken on notice.

Traffic safety at the Gorman Road and Connemara Drive intersection was also discussed. Staff said a safety review was not required as part of the development application, but it could be raised separately if safety concerns required one.

A traffic-monitoring camera had been placed on Gorman Road to assess vehicle speed and usage. Staff said the applicant would decide whether to change the proposal in response to the traffic-assessment data. The cost of additional access would depend on how it was incorporated into the existing design and whether it linked to another street and car park.

The committee also approved detached dual occupancies at 2 Mallard Way and 73 Scarborough Street. It approved a development involving a dwelling house and secondary dwelling, dual occupancy, a three-lot Torrens title subdivision and group homes at 21 Honeyman Drive and 6 Duncanson Drive.

Cr McDonell declared a non-significant non-pecuniary interest in the Connemara Drive application because she resides nearby. The deferral was approved without opposition, with Cr J Whitton absent.