Kiama councillors have voted to reject a contentious planning proposal, while also resolving to engage with the community to locate areas suitable for future development in Jamberoo.
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Kiama council recently received a planning proposal for the rezoning of a block at Golden Valley Road, Jamberoo from RU2 Rural Landscape to R2 Low Density Residential, and the amendment of the minimum lot size from 40 hectares to 800 square metres.
The site would potentially yield about 47 dwellings.
Residents claimed if the Golden Valley Road residential development was approved, Jamberoo would have experienced a 43 per cent total increase in size over the past four to five years. Many Jamberoo residents believe the proposal threatens their rural lifestyle.
The site has been noted for future development within the Kiama Urban Strategy.
At its October meeting, council resolved to defer consideration of the Gateway proposal to allow for community input. The proposal was exhibited with 148 submissions received, including 141 objections.
Whether to endorse the PP to proceed to the Department of Planning and Environment for Gateway determination was debated at council’s December meeting.
The majority of councillors voted to reject the planning proposal.
Cr Mark Way said while, “I’ve supported a lot of the planning that’s gone on in Jamberoo, and there’s been quite a bit lately… At this point in time I think they’ve done the heavy lifting”.
“What is it that is going to grow and keep jobs in Jamberoo?” Cr Andrew Sloan said of the village’s ongoing viability.
“I believe the core attraction to Jamberoo is tourism. If we turn it into Albion Park or Shell Cove… They might get business from more locals living there, but the tourists will stop going there, and I think that’s going to be a negative for the economy.”
Cr Warren Steel believed, “the shops in general are doing it tough”, and the prospective new homes would help the town survive.
He also believed many residents would like to see the proposal go ahead, and it was “only a small percentage of the residents that really are dead-set against it”.
Following the vote, the developer can still take the proposal to the Department of Planning to potentially seek Gateway through them. If the PP is accepted then it must go through the development application process, and council would likely make the final determination.
Deputy Mayor Kathy Rice also successfully moved that council engage with the community to locate areas suitable for future development in Jamberoo, and to assist the development of a Jamberoo specific Development Control Plan.
