THE controversial de-velopment at the Bermagui Country Club has taken another step.
At Bega Valley Shire Council’s meeting on Tuesday, council voted to rezone the land on which the proposed development will take place.
President of Support Our Bermagui Action Group (SOBAG) Mary Cunnane spoke to council before the issue was raised with one of her points being that in the most recent report, prepared in response to the submissions at council’s last meeting, that “the subject land was not identified as a sensitive, urban site by The Minister for Planning’s assessment panel.”
Ms Cunnane said that was true but the report stated further that “it should be noted that details of the rezoning were available at the time the Panel was established” .
“That’s a disingenuous statement because it implies – and wants the Council members to infer – that this means that the Minister for Planning somehow thereby indirectly approved this rezoning application, when that is simply not the case.”
Ms Cunnane said staff had stated that many of the objections contained in the last round of submissions were irrelevant because they concerned the actual nature and size of the proposed development and not the issue of rezoning per se, and therefore should be addressed later.
“That’s another disingenuous statement,” she said.
“Because the details of the development in the DCP - as well as the rezoning application - were made available on council’s website and submissions were invited on both.”
Ms Cunnane said the staff response to Eddie Davenport’s submission at the last meeting, stated that “the development of this property will take perhaps 20 years and that council will also impose a condition relating to one stage having to be 30 per cent constructed before the next stage can commence. This will slow the development. It is highly doubtful that the developer would construct 30 per cent of dwellings, and leave them unsold, just so that a new stage can be commenced”.
Ms Cunnane said council was being asked to make a major decision about the future of Bermagui based on staff’s “perhaps” and “doubtfuls”.
“There has been zero credible economic forecasting done by the staff to show just how many long-term jobs will result from this development.
“The council’s own Structure Report for the area recommended planning for only another 200 dwellings to attain a medium growth rate by 2025,” she said.
When council came to the matter, Cr David Hede raised the question of sewerage and said he had huge concerns about a private sewerage treatment plant being allowed to the developer.
Andrew Woodley group manager planning and development said he shared Cr Hede’s concerns and that he considered the sewerage would need to be dealt with by council’s treatment plant.
However, he said he didn’t believe it was a rezoning matter and should be dealt with at Development Applica-tion stage.
The other concern raised was what “30 percent to be developed before the next stage commenced” actually meant.
“Is that 30 per cent certificate of occupancy, or development approval or completed construction,” Cr Hede asked.
Mr Woodley deferred to council’s manager group strategic planning, Tony McDermott, who suggested council could make its own determination on the subject.
After further debate, council agreed to alter the resolution to include the issue of sewerage and clarification of the 30 per cent meaning.
The recommendation was then put:
1. That council resolve to refer pursuant to Clause 68 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act the rezoning of that part of the Bermagui Country Club lands identified on the attached plan from 6(c) Private Recreation to Residential 2(b) and Environment Protection General 7(d) to the Minister for Planning with the request that
she make the Local Environmental Plan.
2. That council resolve to adopt the Bermagui Country Club Develop-ment Control Plan dated November 2008 with the following amendments: “That for clarity the Development Control Plan be amended to require an occupation certificate to signify construction of buildings as listed in Clause 3.2 and further that applications lodged for the subdivision and development of the land are to include plans for the reticulation and treatment of sewage into the council’s sewerage system and the application on site of treated effluent generated by the development.”
The recommendation was resolved on the motion of Crs Britten and Sandrey with Crs Hughes and Seckold voting against.