A multimillion-dollar development, which includes farm stay accommodation and large mansion style home, could come to fruition in the Jamberoo Valley.
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A development application from iarchitecture on behalf of client Mr S Tang, has been lodged with Kiama Council which is estimated to cost $13.295 million.
The development on Lot 12 Jamberoo Road, Croom would see the demolition of an existing dairy, the construction of a new dwelling, a secondary dwelling, information and education building and farm stay accommodation with five cabins, educational building, hay and tractor sheds and roadworks.
It is intended the proposed one bedroom farm stay accommodation cabins would supplement and complement the primary agricultural activities on the site.
The accommodation cabins would be used on a regular basis to provide accommodation for guests of the landowner.
We are under attack by real estate developers in this village and valley, and we’re really going to have to put up the barricades or get our state government politicians to support us in fending off this sort of destruction of our village and agricultural land.
- Graham Pike
Jamberoo resident Graham Pike is concerned about the destruction and fragmentation of agricultural land in the Jamberoo Valley.
“This is a very large development and it is yet another encroachment in the Kiama Municipality and in particular Jamberoo, onto viable, actively productive agricultural land,” he said.
“The state government is doing nothing despite some lip service to protecting agricultural land. In fact, we’ve seen in the Golden Valley Road proposal, that it has actually bypassed Kiama Council and the government itself will make the final decision on that proposal.”
Mr Pike said the proposal goes against state government policy and the Kiama LEP.
“It’s in breach of the laws that were put in place to protect this agricultural productivity,” he said.
“This area has been supplying the first settlement, Sydney, for 120 years with dairy products – milk, butter and cheese – and it’s very quickly coming to a halt.
“It has to be stopped because it’s contrary to the laws of the land.”
Mr Pike is also concerned for the character of the village and valley.
“If you lose the farmland, which rolls into Jamberoo and forms the scenic rural background to this village, then you lose the character of the whole place, not only that but the heritage also,” he said.
“Until recently, this heritage has been protected, now this state government has lifted those protections. The entire Jamberoo village, valley and surrounding escarpment is open to this urbanisation and fragmentation of food producing land, and it’s happening before our very eyes.”
The 150 acre property known as ‘Croome Vale’, operated as a working dairy until it was sold in July 2016 for $1.775 million, which was the first time in approximately 80 years the property had been offered to the open market for sale.
“This proposed development for the Croom farm, which was a dairy farm up until it was purchased by non farmers, this development will add, if it is approved, another fragmenting element to the entire village and valley,” Mr Pike said.
“It’s being experienced by the whole municipality, but we’re really coping it here because there are large amounts of money being offered to farmers coming from developers.
“We are under attack by real estate developers in this village and valley, and we’re really going to have to put up the barricades or get our state government politicians to support us in fending off this sort of destruction of our village and agricultural land.”
Jamberoo Valley Residents and Ratepayers Association (JVRRA) will provide community members with an opportunity to learn more about the proposal, discuss it in detail, and offer comments at their next general meeting on March 6 at 7.30pm at Club Jamberoo.
