Alarm bells should be ringing for residents of the south coast, as it would appear that there is an escalation in the number of Canberra and Sydney developers targeting coastal locations, with proposals for inappropriate developments, such as huge residential and shopping complexes, that will undoubtedly have detrimental impacts on vulnerable foreshores, lakes and wetlands.
One such urban development proposed in a 1(a) setting, near the pristine Wallagoot Lake and Bournda National Park, is the latest target for out of town developers. The environmental impacts on this beautiful and largely unspoiled area would be enormous, should the development get permission to proceed. Coincidentally, the developer happens to be the same one responsible for a new subdivision on the corner of the Kings and Princess Highways in Batemans Bay.
The site of a development in Huskisson, for 10 shops and residential flats, located 40m from the foreshore of beautiful Jervis Bay was controversial, with over 500 people voicing their objections, but in spite of this level of opposition, the development gained approval.
This developer is the same one proposing five shops and residential units, in an environmentally sensitive location at Long Beach. Once again, residents are not happy, as they believe the proposal is too ambitious for Long Beach and inappropriate for the location. An enabling clause to allow the site to be rezoned from residential to business is also a contentious issue.
It is not too late to rationalise inappropriate development in the Eurobodalla. Our Council needs to heed the concerns of the people who already live here, not be beholden to out of town developers, who are unlikely to ever live here, or be concerned about their legacy of urban ugliness.
Council’s Sustainable Living Policy is intended to promote and retain the qualities that are important to the image of the Nature Coast, such as the protection and conservation of biodiversity, and these qualities must be upheld in keeping with the objectives of the new Residential Design Code.
Jenny Edwards
Secretary