Despite strong lobbying from people opposed to further development in Jamberoo, the March Council meeting approved changes to the Kiama Local Environment Plan (KLEP) to allow owners of property with split zoning to exercise that potential.

The issue was raised by the desire of the Downes family to sell off 1.7 hectares of their farm land. The land, on the edge of Jamberoo, is earmarked for residential development in the Kiama Urban Strategy.

The KLEP does not allow this to happen due to minimum lot sizes for rural land.

Other councils have already changed their LEPs to overcome this issue.

“We are pleased that our planning proposal was approved,” says Nick Condell, a member of the Downes family. “Council found that no valid argument against us was raised. We would like to thank the residents who have supported us. The submissions we received in support of our proposal reached 183, larger than those objecting, with 158.

“The town, we believe, delivered a message to residents opposing developments, that aggressive, negative and exaggerated campaigns are out of line. Opponents should just voice their simple objection without resorting to a toolbox of questionable tactics. We hope the village returns to just respecting each other’s unadorned opinion.

“The decision to sell the herd was the hardest thing my late father-in-law and the family has ever done. To imply it has anything to do with a family applying to rezone land identified by Council as developable is a very naive and insulting interpretation.”