BEGA Valley Shire Council is not letting the development application for Woolworths supermarket in Bermagui drag on.
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The DA was deferred at the last council meeting on March 26, with councillors seeking a staff report on issues brought up during public deputations (BDN 28/3).
The DA is back before council this Wednesday – with one significant change.
The proposal to include a liquor store in the complex - which will include a supermarket, speciality stores and car park - has been excised from the DA by the applicant Fabcot Pty Ltd.
A staff report has concluded the development “meets the objectives of the zone, is a permissible land use, is considered to achieve the orderly and economic use and development of the land and is consistence with the strategic direction for Bermagui”.
An updated report submitted by HillPDA regarding the economic impact of the development concluded “we believe that there are no suitable grounds for refusal of the proposed development on grounds of economic impact” and recommends the DA is approved subject to conditions.
A 19-page draft development consent is included with the report.
Conditions include restrictions in delivery hours and design elements that specify timber cladding on the Montague St façade.
A memorandum from BVSC group manager Leanne Barnes tabling the possible reasons for refusal of the DA is also included in the report.
One reason given for possible refusal is the DA “fails to satisfy the B2 Local Centre zone objective ‘to minimise conflict between land uses on land in the zone and land uses on land in adjoining zones’ as the development would be inconsistent with the character of the locality and would not contribute to the seaside amenity and atmosphere of Bermagui township”.
Other reasons relate to Section 79 (1)(b) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act and the DA regarding “view sharing”, “pedestrian linkages” and “[failure] to provide reasonable trading and delivery hours to minimise adverse impacts”.
This development application is the second lodged by Fabcot for a Woolworths complex in Bermagui.
The first DA is currently the subject of a deferred Land and Environment Court hearing brought by the community action group No W in Bermagui.
Wednesday's council meeting begins at 2pm.