The November council meeting is shaping up to be another key point in the orbital road debate.
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Councillors have voted for the general manager to investigate the impact on the strategic business case development of removing the current investigation area for the east-west orbital road from Ocean Drive to the Oxley Highway.
A report is due at Port Macquarie-Hastings Council's meeting on November 20 about the impact of removing this investigation area with the intention to investigate alternative routes for the proposed orbital road project.
The report will also include any impacts on funding applications and impacts on procedures to cross or encroach any nature reserves.
Cr Mike Cusato, who raised the matter, said he believed this motion needed to be put forward.
"I'm just trying to cover all the bases here," he said.
Cr Cusato questioned if the council presented this proposal to the state and federal governments, had it covered all the bases needed to fund the project.
He said the council could not fund the project alone.
Mayor Peta Pinson thanked Cr Cusato for looking at this in a different way.
"I trust that the general manager and his staff will look very deeply at this and bring a report back to the November meeting for us all to consider," she said.
Cr Rob Turner said the council needed to know why it needed to look at all the options or whether there were any impacts on removing options.
Port Macquarie Better Orbital Options Alliance's Phil Lloyd told the council meeting on behalf of the alliance and action groups, he fully endorsed Cr Cusato's recommendation, assuming it was in good faith, and hoped the majority of councillors followed suit.
The councillors' decision was unanimous.
Mr Lloyd spoke about lack of potential state or federal funding for the current option, the Lake Innes Nature Reserve, environmental considerations and those impacted by the proposed east-west link.
"To us, it also seems a total waste of ratepayer funds to further investigate this east-west link option, when there is no likelihood of it ever being funded or built," he said.
Tony Thorne from King & Campbell also spoke in support of Cr Custato's motion.
He said the investigation to date had already had an impact, particularly on affected residents.
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