The decision to make amendments to the Kiama Local Environmental Plan (LEP), which will see dual occupancy lot sizes increase, has shocked Councillor Matt Brown.
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The rescission motion to stop the amendment was lost at the last council meeting.
“We have a change to the LEP, pushed by the Greens, that reduces people’s property values as they can’t subdivide as they used to,” he said.
The Greens need to get their head out of the sand and start to debate these issues constructively.
- Cr Matt Brown
“Their view is the bigger the block of land the better – you’re going to have these monsters there.
“The Greens are totally inconsistent, previously they have insisted on urban infill, this is a sensible policy because it protects our agricultural land and our hill sides, where they have failed, is they did not put in development control plans to ensure the infill was not an urban blight on the landscape.”
Cr Brown said developments along Manning Street were a classic example of urban infill working, but failing as far as the character of the town was concerned.
“The one on the corner of Manning and Bong Bong Streets isn’t built yet, but I’m concerned it won’t comply or contribute to the character of this coastal town built on a classic English grid system,” he said.
“This is bad for the environment, this is bad for a sense of community and it wipes out the whole concept of affordable housing.
“There are many young people wanting to buy and live in the town they grew up in and the Greens have ensured it will be even less affordable than it is now, with a reduced sense of community and a bigger environmental footprint.
“We accept we lost, but this decision will come back and bite every single person in the municipality.”
Councillor Andrew Sloan said the alteration would only apply to newly zoned residential land.
“In most places, the minimum lot size, before it is split, will increase from 450 metres square to 600 metres square, higher lot sizes in Jamberoo, again on greenfield sites only, to help protect the character of the village as requested by residents and confirmed by survey results,” he said.
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