Member for Wyong David Harris has encouraged interested locals to submit their thoughts on a proposal to redevelop the Oasis Caravan Park at Kanwal to create 675 units in a series of buildings up to 12 storeys in height.
He said he had concerns about what might happen to current residents.
He spoke about the matter in Parliament in March and has since met with local businesspeople, the proponents, representatives from the Department of Planning and the Minister for Homes Rose Jackson.
“Some of the issues are being addressed but there are still concerns,” Harris said on his Facebook page, as he urged residents to read the documents and submit their opinions – either for or against.
In Parliament on March 14, Harris spoke about the residents of the park.
“Under the previous government there was an expression of interest to find sites across the state where it was appropriate to increase the density to provide much-needed housing, and I supported that process because it is absolutely necessary,” Harris said.
“But there are some really stressful human stories connected with that.
“A group of people living at Oasis Caravan Park bought their van or transportable home, and they pay about $150 per week to rent the land that it is on.
“As part of this development, they will have to move.”
He said it was a difficult situation because some of those residents had been living there for 23 years.
And while they will be offered money to sell their current residence so the development can occur, the value of the small piece that they call their home will go nowhere close to what they will need to purchase somewhere else.
“Whether it is the government or the company doing the development, we have to work hard to find people either a new place to live or a place to live in the newly developed area,” Harris said.
The number of units proposed for the site has been reduced from 800 units and the building height has been reduced by two storeys from the original development application (DA) submitted last year.
The proposal includes the provision of 15 per cent (102 units) affordable housing for 10 years, and another 30 per cent (200 units) of Independent Living Units allowing people to live independently in the local area as they age.
It includes less ground floor commercial space than the original plan.
“The site provides an excellent opportunity to create a vertically integrated development, positioned within walking distance (of) the existing Kanwal Village and less than 15 minutes from several major local centres (Wyong, Lake Haven, Warnervale, Wyong Hospital),” the DA says.
Three public primary schools and one public high school are within two kilometres of the site and infrastructure within walking distance includes a medical practice, childcare centre, community centres, places of worship, sporting and recreational facilities and public transport services.
The site is zoned general urban, allowing for 50 dwellings per hectare.
The proposed yield of 675 units results in a density of about 125 dwellings per hectare.
The DA states that the increased density and urban consolidation serves as a proactive strategy to alleviate land-use pressures on outer areas.
“By decreasing the need for land-use clearing in these areas, the project actively contributes to the preservation of the environment,” the DA says.
The proposal will require the clearing of 0.66ha of regrowth vegetation to establish bushfire asset protection zones.
Two ecosystem biodiversity credits and two swift parrot credits would be incurred to offset the residual impacts and achieve a no-net loss.
About 320 trees will be planted and about 32 per cent of the site (1.7ha) will be publicly accessible open space.
“With the caravan park reaching the end of its functional life, this transformation adheres to the principles of logical infill, making efficient use of urban space and revitalising the area with a contemporary, sustainable development,” the DA says.
The park currently has 145 approved home sites (100 long term and 45 short term).
People in 33 sites have a permanent residency right under the Residential (Land Lease) Communities Act 2013.
The operator may terminate a site agreement under specific circumstances, one of which is a change of use but a period of at least 12 months must be given and the operator must use reasonable endeavours to obtain or assist the homeowner in finding alternative accommodation that is of the same standard and requires no greater financial outlay than the current residential site; and is acceptable or reasonably ought to be acceptable to the homeowner.
The residents on short-term leases do not have the same rights and are treated according to their lease terms.
The owner of the caravan park, Vivacity, said “Vivacity considers that we have a moral obligation to support all residents within the community”.
A Discussion Paper and updated planning proposals are on public exhibition until June 24.
For more information see https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/…/wallarah-road…
Merilyn Vale
All very well putting on more needed homes but first you need to fix the road systems.The roads are already busy and more and more developments are coming into neighbouring suburbs the roads are never going to cope.