Kiama Municipal Council's plans for a service station at Bombo are on hold after councillors declared a 10-year vision for a second petrol station in Kiama had been realised by the reopening of a former station in Collins Street.
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The council had been advocating for a second petrol station in the Kiama area since the closure of the Mobil at Kiama Heights in 2003, which left Addison's Corner Garage as the town's only fuel provider.
For more than a year, Kiama council has been negotiating with RailCorp over the potential purchase of a Riverside Drive site near the Bombo interchange, which the council believed would suit locals and travellers, as there was access from both sides of the highway.
However, earlier this year, Kiama businessman Glen Fulton began selling petrol from the former Fulton's Holden site in Collins Street.
At the same time, a Facebook page titled Save Kiama Downs from Petrol & Fast Food Giants was established, attracting more than 1300 "likes".
Group spokeswoman and Kiama Downs resident Natalie Allan told the council that the construction of the North Kiama Bypass had taken highway traffic away from North Kiama and changed the atmosphere of the area.
Ms Allan said the shift in the "feel and amenity" of the area saw the creation of "a sense of neighbourhood and a sense of place".
"To reopen the area to highway traffic would be a major step back to all of North Kiama," Ms Allan said.
Councillor Dennis Seage successfully moved that the council "reconsider" its options for a petrol station and not proceed with a geotechnical survey of the Riverside Drive site.
"When the decision was made to pursue this issue, Kiama was in dire straits with one dilapidated - at best - service station," Cr Seage said.
"That changed and Glen Fulton has assured me the family business is here to stay.
"The reopening of Fulton's takes away the urgency of providing a service station ... this motion sends a clear message this council listens to its community."
Cr Warren Steel said the current council and previous councils had been lobbied by 80 per cent of the community to help set up a second petrol station.
"If people don't want it there then that's fine," Cr Steel said.
"If Fulton's stays open, that is great but a lot of work and a lot of effort has gone into this and some of the criticism has been a bit low."
Cr Neil Reilly said with two petrol stations now at two points of Kiama, the council had satisfied the community's demands.
Kiama Mayor Brian Petschler said the fact the operator of the new Enhance station had indicated it was not a temporary facility was a "game changer".
However, Cr Petschler said the council would continue to investigate potential locations for a petrol station, potentially within the future redevelopment of the Bombo Quarry.
