A $53M plan to create a 246-lot housing development west of the M1 at Mardi has been knocked back by the Central Coast and Hunter Regional Planning Panel.
The applicant, Stevens Group, had already been issued a no by the Council which then referred its concerns to the Panel in an hour-long meeting on Thursday, February 17.
Correspondence from the Council that included 49 points of concern was sent to the Applicant alongside 53 submissions that included 39 objections.
The Regional Planning Panel’s decision details 15 concerns, chief among them a failure to satisfy the provision of the Wyong Local Environmental Plan 2013.
It set down a catalogue of other considerations that the applicant had failed to meet or address.
They included: a failure to satisfy provision for heritage conservation; flood planning; arrangements for state public infrastructure; acid sulfate soils; essential services that did not adequately address the flooding, construction, traffic or stormwater impacts.
Ultimately the Panel declared that the application was “not compatible with the rural and environmental character of the surrounding lands.”
“Having considered the detailed information provided it is not satisfied that the site is suitable for the intensity of the development proposed,” it said.
The application, which covered a subdivision with two stages comprising 54 lots, the third stage with 59 lots, the fourth with 65 and the final stage five comprising 14 lots, was noted as being “the only residential land west of the M1 freeway”.
A Council assessment report on the proposed development echoed its current position on the NSW Government’s Draft Central Coast Regional Plan 2041 – Council would not back any housing developments west of the M1.
In a response to the NSW Government’s 2041 regional plan, where it seeks to create “15-minute neighbourhoods” and substantially bolster residential growth on the Coast in the next 20 years, the Council stressed that it should only take place east of the motorway.
It said urban development west of the M1 Motorway could pose a significant risk to the Central Coast’s water supply.
“The future growth areas at Jilliby, Alison and Mardi are also situated within water supply catchments.
“Due to this significant risk, Council has always maintained a strict policy position of not promoting urban development in water supply catchments.”
Nicola Riches
Hi how do I get acess to the minutes of the panel
There is a massive shortage of available land within the central coast region which in turn has put incredible pressure on pricing over the past twelve months, its time for council to step up and re-zone land that has been earmarked for this purpose, introduce major infrastructure spending and consider the needs of the country, the small minded thinking and absurd developements which have already been approved within the region add weight to the fact that council has no idea what they are doing, just take a look at the proposed Warnervale town centre, what a mess, 250 sqm lots does not provide affordable or attractive housing or neigbourhoods, it only provides for traffic and congestion issues. All I have seen from council since 1994 when I moved to the area is reckless spending, poor management and a complete lack of vision, these are facts not fiction and although the council is under administration things are not improving, it makes me angry when I see sensible large lot developments like this one knocked back, the fact is all of Australia was rural before we developed it regardless of whether it was east for west of a road.