The concept masterplan

Community consultation on the rezoning of a 40ha parcel of largely rural land, to the west of the Highway between Saddleback Mountain Rd and Weir St, is expected to commence in mid-June.

The Masterplan for the site (below) now shows the potential for the development of approximately 265 R2 zoned residential lots (>450m²), 170 R2 zoned residential lots (>300m²), 20 R5 zoned large residential lots (>1,000m²) and several larger R2/E2/RU2 or R2/RU2 split zoned lots with limited building entitlements.

It also identifies areas of environmental conservation and management, including rainforest and Kendells Cemetery, and access points from Weir Street and Saddleback Mountain Rd, and out to South Kiama Drive through the viaduct.

The final configuration will be settled at the time of the DA.

Following Kiama Council refusing to support the original Planning Proposal to change the zoning of the site last March, White Constructions appealed to the Southern Planning Panel.

In endorsing the proposal for Gateway Determination, the Panel outlined additional matters that needed to be addressed by the developer, due to the site’s particular environmental, visual, landscape and heritage challenges.

Acting as the Relevant Planning Authority for the Gateway process, Kiama Council staff report that the additional matters have recently been satisfactorily addressed.

They have recently requested comments from a variety of government agencies, including the RMS and the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment’s Division of Biodiversity & Conservation, and the Illawarra Local Aboriginal Land Council.

With community consultation expected to commence mid-June, it is anticipated that the matter will voted on by councillors at the August or September meeting.

Councillors originally rejected the proposal 8:1, saying it was not needed yet.

Council, however, is not the final decision maker on this matter, with its recommendation and the results of the consultation process then being forwarded to the Minister for Planning and Public Space to make the final determination.