At its most recent meeting, the Bega Valley Shire Council conceded the Valley had a shortage of land in the shire and that rezoning proposals have taken too long to resolve.

However, at least one Bega landholder countered that concession saying he was sitting on a potential 200 residential blocks within the town limits, but that council was the one not playing ball.

Rodney Bell said he owns one of “the last blocks of available land in Bega”, at the top of East St back from the Glen Mia Estate.

He said the main thing holding him back from opening up the land to residential development is council not bringing the sewer to his property – even though the nearest pump station is barely a kilometre away.

“Glen Mia only developed pipes to suit their own needs, not catering for anyone further up the road,” Mr Bell claimed.

He said another nearby development was catered to by septic tanks, a situation he believes would not be allowable for his own property should he proceed with subdivision.

Mr Bell said estimates he has sourced put the cost to run the sewer from the pump station near Glebe Lagoon to his boundary 1km away around $300,000.

Once it’s in though, he said the potential of 200 residential blocks would be worth a small fortune to the council.

As he would be up for headworks charges and council fees of “about $30,000 per block” he is looking at handing $6million over to the council. Add annual rates of approximately $2000 per block into the mix – $400,000 a year – and “it’s a bit of a no-brainer”.

“I’m not criticising anyone, politics is a hard game to be in, but this is the dilemma I face,” Mr Bell said.

“Yes I have to pay to develop my land, I expect that, but for me to have to bring sewer pipes to my land first is unfair. Council needs to be providing this infrastructure, not just for me, but for them to be looking at the future of the town.”