Bega Valley Shire councillors voted to stick with the planned Merimbula CBD traffic trial. Photo BVSC
Merimbula businesses have failed in their bid to get a CBD traffic trial, which includes a one-way section of road, changed.
It has left tourism managers concerned about the effects during the holiday season, with Merimbula Tourism president Shahram Saber saying the plan put up barriers to visitors where other places found ways to encourage tourism.
Despite a vigorous argument by Councillor Mitchell Nadin at yesterday’s (15 July) Bega Valley Shire Council meeting against the recently adopted traffic plans for the Merimbula CBD, his motion to ensure Beach Street remained two-way was lost.
In addition to mini roundabouts at Main Street and Sapphire Coast Drive, and Main Street and Market Street, the change to traffic flow resolved at the 22 June 2026 meeting was to make Beach Street one-way eastbound. The resolution included a pedestrian crossing on Market Street, a wombat crossing on Beach Street near Twyford Hall, minor aesthetic works at Hylands Corner and landscaping and beautification on Beach Street.
Addressing council, Merimbula Chamber of Commerce member Mark Bates asked why the change was needed. “There’s no traffic study and no obvious benefits. You have a $2.8 million grant (to carry out the trial) and the result is 18 car park spaces are lost,” he said.
He cited daily traffic movements of 3800 which had been quoted by the Bega Valley Shire CEO Anthony McMahon, whose contract was renewed during a confidential session of the meeting.
“At least half this traffic would end up going down Market Street. We’re now looking at massive increases in traffic where most of the pedestrians are and that’s not even looking at holiday times when it will be gridlock,” Mr Bates said.
However the majority of councillors stood by their original decision.
More than 10 years after the original plan for Merimbula’s CBD was drawn up by Spiire Consultants in 2015, a traffic trial will start in 2026. Image: BVSC.
Reworking the Merimbula CBD has been talked about even before the 2015 Spiire masterplan that advocated for the activation of Market Street with a shared pedestrian precinct.
The main intersection at Market, Monaro and Park streets was a byproduct to take traffic out of Market Street and direct it to car parks at the rear of shops in Park Street or north to Tura Beach and beyond.
Speaking against the alteration motion, Cr Simon Daly said while the objective was to increase activity on Market Street, in workshops the ideas were picked apart and had moved far from that objective.
“The idea of wanting to pedestrianise that space was lost long ago. We have to balance safety and technical aspects and what the community wants. Parts of the community have concerns about Beach Street. If we’ve got it wrong we can go back. If we need to make changes at the end of this we can do so,” Cr Daly said.
But Cr Nadin said it would not be possible to go back because the car park arrangements would be changed from the current “fishbone parking” to 45 degree angled parking.
Mr Saber was also concerned about what happens after the trial.
“Our biggest concern is what happens when the money is spent and we discover what was proposed didn’t work, how do we reverse it?”
Councillors Nadin, Porter and Noble voted for the alteration motion with councillors Allen, Mudaliar, O’Neil, Daly, Haggar voting against.
The clock is ticking on the $2.8 million Federal Government funding for the CBD project, which must be concluded by the end of February 2027 to allow time for acquittal by the end of June 2027.
The aim is to use the traffic trial outcomes to develop detailed designs for the Merimbula CBD.
