AN Albury councillor has argued a "rocket" needs to be put under the city's Nexus industrial estate development.
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Murray King likened the city continuing to finance it to a Woolworths-owned hardware chain folding after trying to challenge Bunnings.
"I think it's about time Nexus received a rocket under it," Cr King said.
"This should not turn out to be a Masters versus Bunnings type of exercise, so in three or four years time we keep throwing money at it and it hasn't been worthwhile."
Instead, Cr Stuchbery won support for a plan to have municipal staff present a report to the council next month on "the current financial situation and future financial viability of Nexus".
He said his original motion was not well worded and conceived in "the heat of the moment".
Cr Stuchbery said the 2009 estate had a poor record.
"If this was a private development then probably the proponents would be broke by now, so how is it still going with the sale of only block and what is it costing the ratepayers of Albury?" he asked.
But mayor Kevin Mack and his predecessor Henk van de Ven both defended the investment in Nexus.
Cr van de Ven said the major impediment to its blooming had been the lack of a full interchange at Davey Road on the Hume Highway and that which was "now an absolute certainty to go ahead".
"Council was criticised for starting Airport Park and look at the success that's been, so we just need to give these projects time because they absolutely will provide Albury with an industrial precinct, jobs and more jobs in that particular precinct," he said.
Cr Mack likened Nexus to Wodonga Council's Logic industrial hub which is also on the Sydney-to-Melbourne rail corridor.
"Nexus is the future for manufacturing in Albury-Wodonga, as Logic is to Wodonga, Nexus is to Albury," he said.
He argued the lights were unnecessary, but won no support with fellow councillors noting the level of consultation already done with the Thurgoona community on the changes..
A tender for $3.406 million worth of work was awarded to Excell Gray Bruni ahead of AP Delaney which had quoted $4.667 million.
Asked by Cr van de Ven about the large difference between the costs, the council's planning chief Brad Ferris said it was not a concern.
He said an analysis found the budget matched council estimates and Excell Gray Bruni had shown a capacity to undertake the work in addition to other projects.
It is expected the reshaped junction and traffic lights will be finished by winter's end.
