Kiama Mayor Cameron McDonald reiterated his objection to the proposed 14-storey development in Akuna Street while moving to ease community concerns over the rezoning proposal for the Council-owned Shoalhaven Street Precinct.

Cr McDonald’s message is simple when it comes to the Level 33 development on Akuna Street - “We don't want 14 storeys in the centre of Kiama,” he told The Bugle.

He said Council, which has been taken to the Land and Environment Court by Level 33 over the current DA, was focused on this court mediation process and is defending its decision that the DA was “too bulky, too high and had traffic/parking issues to be further worked through”.

Council is calling on Planning Minister Paul Scully to allow the court process to run and to find the right balance for Kiama by agreeing that 14 storeys is “far too high and completely out of character for our town”.

Cr McDonald pointed out that Council has written to Scully to pass on

community concerns.

“I encourage residents who share those concerns to do the same,” he added.

He tabled the letter publicly at Tuesday night’s Council meeting.

“We’ve been working with the State Government on the Shoalhaven Street Rezoning, which is identified in Council’s Housing Strategy. We know our town has housing needs, like most towns in NSW.

“We’re completely on board with in-fill development in our town centre, where it is appropriate, and we have an adopted strategy that guides growth and seeks the necessary infrastructure to support that growth.”

He has issued a mayoral statement after there has been plenty of chatter in the community in recent weeks over the 14-, six- and three-storey proposals in the pipeline for Akuna St and the Shoalhaven Street Precinct opposite Kiama Bowling Club on Council-owned land which could result in six- and eight-storey buildings with 450 new homes.

There is potential for Council’s approved height limits in Akuna St to be doubled by the NSW Government's Housing Delivery Authority.

Cr McDonald’s statement explains why he believes the Shoalhaven Street Precinct rezoning proposal on Council-owned land is distinct and should not be confused with Akuna Street.

Council is pushing ahead with a joint project with the State Government to rezone the Shoalhaven Street Precinct, including the Works Depot, which is currently zoned as industrial.

“The State Government's just gone through the community engagement process,” Cr McDonald said.

“We've been very clear that, as far as Council is concerned, that this is just a rezoning proposal to turn the colour of the planning map from industrial to residential.

“No decision on final designs, etc, have been made as we simply aren’t at the DA stage of the process.

“We have been working closely with the Department of Planning on this site and the State Government has funded the planning proposal work, for which we are very grateful.

“Council is still the owner of the land. After we get through the rezoning process, we’ll move forward with regards to community consultation about what might be built on that piece of land.

“The best use of Shoalhaven Street is residential zoning - it is close to the transport hub, close to the main street, surrounded by houses already and is within our town centre.

“What then comes after that as far as the builtform design is a matter for discussion at a later date.”

Council CEO Jane Stroud said the Shoalhaven Street Precinct, which has received State Significant Development status and is a state-led rezoning proposal being supported by Council, is “in the residential frame”.

“Earlier in the year the State Government released its Low- & Mid-Rise Reforms which make six-storey buildings permissible in R3 zoned land within 800m of the Kiama train station and town centre.

“These reforms apply to this site, and would allow up to six storeys where it is appropriate if it is rezoned to residential land.

“The State Government released an indicative drawing which shows a building of six storeys because that is what’s permissible in a residential zone in a town centre, and showed eight storeys to determine if this could be appropriate on the site.

“This drawing is a concept only – not the final design at all and no DA has been lodged.”

She said that as part of the State Government’s community consultation sessions, there had been mixed reaction with some residents expressing their opposition to the plans and others asking if they can buy off the plan right now only to be told “these are indicative illustrations only”.

A group of local residents near the Shoalhaven Street Precinct have started an online petition objecting to the proposal, which has attracted more than 350 signatures within its first week.

One of the petition organisers, John Littrich, said the proposed height and density are incompatible with the town’s heritage streetscape, coastal views, and environmental constraints.

The residents are concerned that a surge in vehicle movements and population without proper infrastructure planning will create congestion, reduce safety and diminish quality of life.

Littrich said not every concerned resident would be able to make a submission to the NSW Planning Department so they decided to give them the option of signing an online petition to express their opposition.

“We got a letter in the mail saying that there was a rezoning proposal and the essential features of the proposal are 450 homes and 6-8 storeys,” he said.

“It’s totally out of proportion for the area. We’re not NIMBYs who oppose all development and most people would accept a reasonable development but this is just totally disproportionate. There’s no other precedent for it in Kiama.”