Sixth service station on 1.5km stretch of Albany Highway approved at regional WA’s ‘riskiest’ intersection

A 24-hour service station will be built at regional WA’s riskiest intersection in Albany after it was approved by a Regional Joint Development Assessment Panel. City of Albany Mayor Dennis Wellington, who sits on the panel, said although he believed Albany already had enough service stations, that was not relevant to the approval process. The service station, to be built at the corner of Albany Highway and South Coast Highway, will be the sixth along a 1.5km stretch of Albany Highway — and the third United Petroleum outlet. On January 14, the RJDAP approved the development of a United Petroleum service station at the corner of Albany Highway and South Coast Highway. The intersection was voted WA’s riskiest intersection in the 2019 RAC Risky Roads survey because of its “confusing layout”. The 12-bay service station and 300sqm retail outlet will be built on the site of the Amity Tavern, Thirsty Camel bottle shop and Good Day Thai Takeaway — which are all set to be demolished. The site was previously used as a service station until 1976. The $2.3 million development application was approved, subject to 23 conditions, including that construction must begin within two years. A report detailing the RJDAP’s decision said the proposal was “consistent with the relevant planning framework”. Mr Wellington said development approvals had to be made based on zoning and planning requirements alone. “Whether you need more businesses or more service stations or not, is not a consideration,” he said. “It is only whether it fits within the actual planning requirements. “I mean, do I think we’ve got enough service stations? Yes, I do think we have enough service stations but that is not a practicality of the consideration.” Mr Wellington said he did not believe opening another service station near the Chester Pass roundabout would be a safety risk. “Certainly with the ring road, it is going to lessen the impact on that roundabout,” he said. “It may actually improve things with the work they do.” The development application for the service station stated Main Roads WA “had no in-principle objection to the proposed development.” 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.