In a recent article in The Bugle, I find Mayor Cameron McDonald's comments misleading ... "Right now, this proposal is only about rezoning – no development can occur until that process is complete. There is no Development Application (DA). The images you may have seen are concepts from the NSW Planning Department, not approved designs, heights, or plans. Detailed planning – including building heights, design, traffic, parking and infrastructure – will happen later through the normal DCP and DA process, with full community consultation."

The Planning Department documents make it clear that integral to Kiama Council's re-zoning proposal for their Depot Site, is a change to the existing building controls under the Kiama Local Environment Plan (LEP) 2011 (which are currently set an 11 metre/3 storey height limit) to replace them with the government’s new R3 zoning controls which completely change floor space ratios and building height allowances.

With those controls gone, Council cannot bring them back.

If the rezoning proposal goes ahead, any developer will be able to use the 6-8 storey heights and reduced floor size ratios (450 unit density) in the rezoning proposal as the basis for their DA.

The Council will not be able to stop them.

A State Planning Panel will have no reason to refuse a DA that is consistent with the State Government’s increased heights and densities, particularly where Council is partnering with the State Government on the rezoning proposal!

Chris Minehan,

Kiama