Leura residents have urged council to buy a vacant block on the entry ramp to the Mall to solve the problem of tourist buses in the town.
But council says the land can’t be used as a parking area and it doesn’t have time to formally consider a report before the auction, which is scheduled for Friday.
The land at 12-14 Great Western Highway would be perfect, according to Lorraine Droga. She is one of a group campaigning to get tourist coaches away from the crowded shopping area where they often block sight lines for car drivers trying to exit the main carpark.
Under the group’s grand plan, the land at number 12 could be used as a drop off/pick up point, encouraging tourists to walk down the Mall, rather than just dash into the toilets and Woolworths from Megalong Street, as they currently do.
And a cottage on the land at number 14 could be converted to a tourist information office with toilet facilities.
But a council spokeswoman said land use zones would not allow a carpark.
“A technical assessment of the site also suggests that it would be unsuitable for use as a tourist bus parking facility as proposed by the Leura Village Association,” she said.
“In addition, the Local Government Act requires the council to formally consider a report and pass a resolution prior to buying or selling property.
“Irrespective of any merit of the proposal and funding considerations, this is not practically possible prior to the auction date of Friday, November 27.”
She said the local traffic committee will recommend that the current tourist bus zones in Megalong Street are changed to “tourist bus zone, drop off pick up, 10 minute (8.30am – 6pm)”.
The committee will also suggest better line marking of driveways, turning paths and no stopping zones along Megalong Street, to help drivers leaving the carpark as well as to better manage buses.
Council has said the bus issue will be reviewed in the 2016/17 financial year in a wider study that will consider longer term solutions to traffic and bus issues.