Service station at regional WA’s ‘riskiest’ intersection would be the sixth on a 1.5km stretch of highway

The riskiest intersection in regional WA could become home to the sixth service station on a 1.5km stretch of Albany Highway. United Petroleum wants to put a 24-hour service station at the corner of Albany Highway and South Coast Highway in Orana, which was voted WA’s riskiest intersection in last year’s RAC Risky Roads survey because of its “confusing layout”. If the proposal is approved, it will be the sixth service station along a 1.5km stretch — and the third United Petroleum outlet. A development application has been lodged with the Regional Joint Development Assessment Panel for a 12-bay service station and 300sqm retail outlet to replace the existing Amity Tavern, Thirsty Camel bottle shop and Good Day Thai Takeaway. In early 2017, the City of Albany rejected plans for another service station at the nearby Chester Pass roundabout on safety grounds. That decision was overturned on appeal to the State Administrative Tribunal later that year. United Petroleum will have its application determined by a development assessment panel — an option for any development outside the City of Perth worth $2 million-$10m. The United Petroleum application, prepared by Ayton Baesjou Planning, states that the City of Albany and Main Roads WA are “supportive of the proposal”. “Following demolition of the Amity Tavern and associated takeaway food kiosk, it is proposed to construct a United Petroleum service station on the subject land,” the application said. “The existing Amity Tavern and drive-through bottle shop, together with the takeaway food kiosk, will be replaced with a state-of-the-art service station catering for cars and other light vehicles. The modern design and striking colours will improve the visual amenity on this prominent site.” A transport impact statement prepared by Donald Veal Consultants concludes that the proposed development is fully supported from a “traffic and road safety viewpoint”. It notes that the Albany Ring Road will take heavy trucks away from the site. “The layout of the site is such that very little additional traffic is expected to pass through the intersection of Albany Highway with South Coast Highway as a result of this development as customers are intercepted either downstream or upstream of the intersection,” Donald Veal Consultants said. “Hence there is negligible traffic impact and, under WA Planning Commission’s Transport Impact Assessment guidelines, no detailed technical analysis is therefore required.” The application is open for public comment until November 5 through the City of Albany website. The City will prepare a report for the Regional JDAP, which is the determining authority for the $2.3m project.