Decision on Toolijooa ‘bittersweet’
June 26, 2008
Section: News
KATINA CURTIS
Although the Land and Environment Court commissioners rejected the appeal against Kiama Council’s refusal of a development in Toolijooa, residents say it is a bittersweet victory.
Rob Richmond and Steve Carr, who have campaigned against the 1040-house development since it was lodged with the council last September, said the fight should never have had to happen.
Mr Richmond called the court ruling an “empty victory”.
“It’s been a long, awful and terrible fight to win nothing really. I guess we’ve protected the environment and we’ve protected the community from a disaster,” he said.
“But it’s caused a lot of community damage and a lot of stress and all we’ve effectively done is stop a development at great community cost and great cost to the council.”
Mayor Sandra McCarthy said the ruling vindicated the council’s decision to reject the proposal.
Commissioners Graham Brown and Annelise Tuor ruled that the development application by Wygiren Pty Ltd did not protect the agricultural potential of the land or the landscape quality of the rural area.
They said both of these alone would be reason enough to reject the application.
The commissioners found there was no legal basis to enforce a requirement that at least one occupant of every dwelling must be aged over 50 because it was not a seniors living development.
Laurence Gill, the director of Wygiren, said the developer was very disappointed with the ruling.
“We continue to believe our application had considerable merits, but we respect the court,” he said.
- Jul 11, 2008 @ 10:54am
Given the present (and only worstening) housing affordability crisis, increased costs of living and aging populations - I can only say how dissappointing such a result is. Developments anywhere have an impact, but they are necessary for people to continue populating areas (just think about the fact that you are probably living in a dwelling that was built with opposition by the people who were there before YOU.) I can only hope that future development proposals go to the same lengths that this proposal did to minimise the impact on the environment and surrounding areas as well as having a focus on sustainability. Hats off to Wygiren for an outstanding proposal - it is that kind of "out of the box" thinking that this state needs to fix the appaling position we find ourselves in.
- Jun 30, 2008 @ 12:06pm
Re: Toolijooa Development. Now that the development proposal is at an end I would suggest we look at what we have lost, employment, investment and affordable housing. All the tradesmen in the area next time you are short of work think of how much work this development would of provided and blame - Rob Richmond Steve Carr and Sandra McCarthy. When local business counts the cost of the exodus of locals who cannot find affordable housing, which the development would have provided, being replaced by weekend residents and your bottom line suffers as a result blame - Rob Richmond Steve Carr and Sandra McCarthy. When investors or developers will not invest in the Kiama municipality because of the vicious, deceitful and personal campaign orchestrated against the developer and the property owners blame - Rob Richmond Steve Carr and Sandra McCarthy. Next local election blame –SANDRA MACARTHY!!!
Comment count: 3
Putting old people, single mothers, poor people and the disabled in a collection of tin sheds built in a cow paddock is not sustainable living development - it's just shameless greed by people who have no imagination as to what the local lands they so often own offer. That Kiama Council is run by a collective of lazy men and women with no vision is only part of the problem. The bottom line is a long established local family thought it could build a new town of over priced tin sheds and get away with it. And as to tradesmen looking for work - then head north and cash in on a life time opportunity to build wealth for one's family. The idea of building a shanty town as a make work program just shows how visionless Kiama has become under the current leadership of the Mayor and her fake green nimby cohorts.