It comes after a public consultation process to determine if the laneway – at the rear of businesses in the town’s main street – was needed for general use.

This was in response to the owners of a property serviced by the laneway constructing a fence across it.

Council’s infrastructure services director Shane Power said council hosted a meeting in the town about the issue, and also wrote to affected property owners and invited them to make submissions.

Of the 13 council received, 10 were in favour of the land being transferred from private ownership to council.

He said the property owners of 90 Lloyd Street – who had erected the fence – were issued with a notice to remove it.

Five gallery members spoke about the proposal to transfer land to council.

Mary Clarke, who owns two titles in the area, said she fully supported council acquiring the laneway.

The owners of 90 Lloyd Street – Norbert, Ilse and Dieter Aschenbrenner – each spoke about their submissions against council’s proposal.

Among their concerns were security and privacy, the fact that alternate laneways were available, and that council’s proposal devalued properties and was contrary to its planning scheme objectives.

Cr Debra Nelson moved a motion to transfer the land to council.

“It is hard to make these decisions. But at the end of the day, I was voted in to represent my community,” she said.

“The best way I can do that is by representing what the majority want.”

Cr David Colbert said he hoped the people concerned respected council’s decision.

“You can’t all win,” he said.

Councillors voted unanimously to declare that the laneway was reasonably required for general public use.

Among their reasons were that it had been used for many years by the community, and was required to allow vehicles to access a number of properties.