What really happened about Tallawarra

Here is a summary from the Council Docs

Council recommended Tallawarra rezonings be supported with amendments.

In response to the public exhibition process thirty two (32) submissions were received, comprising twenty four (24) objections, three (3) submissions in support and five (5) submissions providing comments on the proposal. The objections included submissions from Concerned Residents for East Dapto (CRED), the Illawarra Escarpment Coalition (IEC), Neighbourhood Forum 4, Wollongong Against Corruption (WAC) and Illawarra Community and Environment Connection (ICEC).

The Member for Shellharbour lodged an objection to residential development at Tallawarra Point. The submission indicated that the community wants the Point treated as a coastal headland and reserved for green space.

The issues raised by the community include:
• Traffic generation;
• Adverse impact of road link through Haywards Bay;
• Adverse impact on environmental values of the foreshore site and the significant wetlands on the site;
• No demand for residential development;
• Adverse impact of residential development on the steeply sloping sections of the site;
• Unacceptable public infrastructure costs;
• Adverse impact upon Lake Illawarra;
• Insufficient ecological investigations;
• Asbestos concerns from the previous power station;
• Insufficient buffer to the power station;
• Residential height limit excessive;
• Insufficient provision of employment lands as required by the Illawarra regional strategy;
• Rezoning limits the provision of a pathway around the foreshore;
• Adverse visual impacts of residential development on Elizabeth and Tallawarra Points;
• Flood impacts;
• Loss of recreation opportunities; and
• Conflicting land uses with residential development close to the power station site.

The concept design submitted in support of the rezoning is not endorsed by the rezoning.

The DECC formally objected to the Tallawarra rezoning on the basis of the flood impacts. The submission also raised concerns relating to noise impacts, asbestos contamination, biodiversity impacts and Aboriginal heritage.

Land Use changes
Power Station 30 ha to 40 ha
Employment and Tourism 130 ha unchanged.
Residential 130 ha to 80 ha
Open Space 22 ha to 23 ha
Environmental Conservation 261 ha to 300 ha

So we still get houses on the Northern Slopes – apparrently Wollongong Council respects visual impacts for Shellharbour Residents but not Wollongong residents. Go figure.

Our hope is that the smaller scale along with DCP controls will make the whole thing unviable.

Zoning changes at Tallawarra

120 unhappy Wollongongers

Get our LEP Documents here

120 Wollongong residents attended a Community Engagement conference at the Fraternity Club on Saturday. They came to voice their concerns about Wollongong City Council’s plans for the region. Former ICAC chief and planning expert John Mant explained the new planning system. He warned of the ways Council can use the system to allow developments that do not comply with their own rules. Planning consultant David Winterbottom outlined how the proposed LEP is a recipe for increased housing density right across Wollongong. He showed that most low density residential areas are being rezoned to R2. This zoning allows town house developments up to 11 metres (3-4 stories) high. Both experts agreed that the proposed plans are not sustainable. Mr Winterbottom said, “Our gift to the future will be a poorer built and natural environment. This plan encourages migration but not enough extra jobs to cater for residents”.

Speakers from groups including Concerned Residents of East Dapto (CRED), Corrimal Action for the Rehabilitation of our Escarpment (CARE) and KEG (Keep Excelsior Green) outlined concerns unique to their areas. Residents spoke of their disenchantment with Council, the lack of true community engagement and disgust over plans to allow the Vellar mansions to be rezoned, rather than demolished. The room fell into stunned silence when confronted with the planning disgrace of Grafton St, Fairy Meadow. Corrimal activist Rod Plant presented video showing the ugly shell of a failed Belmorgan development surrounding and overshadowing a lone, single story house. Ken Davis revealed how the proposed Tallawarra Lands development failed to meet a single criterion for sustainability.

The meeting unanimously accepted a raft of ten proposals, including a call for a public hearing and for Council to properly investigate the concerns raised by the groups. All requested Council to start the LEP process over again and this time to do it properly.

Sustainability in the WDLEP 2009

Main WDLEP 2009 info

Ken Davis from CRED will be speaking on Sustainability and Aesthetics at the CommunityEngagement Forum at the Fraternity Club on Saturday 28th February. Believe it or not, Wollongong City Council claims to believe that Illawarra’s scenic beauty is critical to our future. Believe it or not – the Draft LEP is full of references to sustainability. They know we cannot keep borrowing from the future to fund our present lifestyles. Yet the proposed zonings, and many proposed developments in the WDLEP are not sustainable. They also detract from the areas natural beauty. CRED have prepared a document highlighting statements about sustainability and aesthetics in Council documents to help residents comment on the WDLEP 2009. Get it here:  sustainibility-in-the-wdlep-2009

LEP Community Sessions – 28 January

Council has just announced the community consultation sessions for the Draft LEP. Info here.

Read our response here.

• 28 Jan Wed Dapto Ribbonwood Centre – Banksia Room

93-109 Princes Highway, Dapto 4pm-7.30pm

• 29 Jan Thu Coledale Hall / Senior Citizen’s Centre

747 Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Coledale 4pm-7.30pm

• 2 Feb Mon Windang Senior Citizens Centre

50 Currajong Street, Windang 4pm-7.30pm

• 3 Feb Tue Thirroul Senior Citizens Centre

302a Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Thirroul 4pm-7.30pm

• 5 Feb Thu Corrimal Library and Community Centre

Lilly Pilly Room, Short Street, Corrimal 4pm-7.30pm

• 9 Feb Mon Warrawong Community Hall – Meeting Room 2

7-9 Greene Street, Warrawong 4pm-7.30pm

• 11 Feb Wed Helensburgh Workers Club

24 Boomerang Street, Helensburgh 4pm-7.30pm

• 16 Feb Mon Wisemans Park Bowling Club

Gipps Road, Gwynneville 4pm-7.30pm

• 17 Feb Tue Wollongong RSL Bowling Club – Function Room

120 The Avenue, Figtree 4pm-7.30pm

Wollongong Draft LEP 2009

The Draft Wollongong LEP is now on display and the public has until March 13th to respond. CRED urges all residents to take the time and effort to make your views known to council. The decisions made on this document will affect our quality of life and neighbourhoods for decades. Our Administrators tell us they are interested in resident’s opinion. Let’s hold them to their word. To make this easier, there are a number of opportunities to learn more and tools to help you in your response:

Use our quick response form

• lep-quick-response-form – just download, tick the boxes or copy the text and put it in your own words

Read our detailed documents

• You can read our long and complicated responses here.

Attend a community workshop

• A combined community workshop is currently being arranged by Wollongong against Corruption. Details coming soon.

Community Consultation

It’s easy to whinge about our Council, but we have seen some positive signs in recent days.

• We’ve been able to meet with Community and Cultural Services, and Admins.
• All of our submissions have actually recieved written responses.
• Council has released a Community Consultation Discusion Paper.

So if you want to have your say about having your say – go here

Where are the jobs – Audio

You can now listen to Graham Larcombe speak on where are the jobs.

Petition Presented

Proof we don't want houses on Tallawarra.

On Friday 4th July we presented our 2000+ signature petition to Lylea. TRU say that residents are not opposed to housing on Tallawarra Point. Despite repeated requests for evidence, TRU have failed to deliver. We have clear proof that the residents of East Dapto area are opposed to housing on Tallawarra Point. It’s now a matter of responding to the Local Environment Plan when it goes on display. Stay tuned for an “Objection Kit” to make it easy to respond.

Lylea assured us she would present the petition along with any other supporting evidence to Frank Sartor, the Minister responsible for NSW’s planning.

Don’t Dump Dapto RALLY

Saturday 15th of March @ 10am

Dapto Mall in ANZ Courtyard

Are you concerned about

• Fowlers Rd. Bridge

• Reed Park

• Tallawarra

• Poor Council consultation

• Corrupt processes

Be there to show you care!

Phone Maureen: 42611392

Email: maureen@shoal.net.au

CRED Cleans up at Elizabeth Point – Sunday Nov 4th

CRED has been asked to do the area around Elizabeth Point. Its a good chance to have a close look at and nurture the land we all care about so much. The LIA has gated and fenced the area presumably because they’ve recently done a big planting in along what used to be the bush track that cars went on. We will have a key to the gate but will have to take care with vehicles. We may be able to take one in just to load the bags onto.

Council workers Julie Cherry and Mike McKeon will have delivered rubbish bags and a syringe container to my place next week. We all need to come with sensible shoes and strong gloves. Council will be taking away the car bodies, old washing machine, mattress etc. maybe on a different day. There is a lot of broken glass in one spot.

We will need to know the numbers and first names so we are certain that they have or we supply appropriate gloves for them. No one can do the rubbish pick up without strong gloves. CRED is hoping for a very good show of workers for a pleasant and constructive morning together. After that we hope to have a BBQ together in the Koonawarra Bay park. Julie from Council said that another group always have a BBQ and we hope to join them.Maureen will organise the bags etc and take responsibility for looking after the key. We need someone to be the organiser for the starting time and BBQ time etc.