A report prepared by Environment, Planning & Community director Des Schroder, which was tabled at the July meeting of Clarence Valley Council (CVC) among the general manager’s reports, was friendless among the valley’s councillors.
Mr Schroder had recommended that councillors accept a request from the Department of Regional NSW (DRNSW) and approve spending $25,000 “to undertake a Market Sounding exercise … and to directly support the future business case for the Harwood Marine Precinct Rezoning and Redevelopment”, as requested in a letter from Louise McMeeking, director North Coast Regional Development,to CVC’s general manager, Ashley Lindsay.
Ms McMeeking wrote that using “known contacts (and interested parties)” would realise an outcome that would “inform the overall market position for the project” and “identify the level of interest and preference that potential purchasers (e.g. listed and private domestic and international developers) would have for the asset, in consideration of the requirement to deliver the Marine Development Site – more evidence based than the current anecdotal information”.
“In addition, the outcomes of the process are anticipated to assist with; informing urban design/project scale, transaction structures, feasibility parameters and key risk factors/mitigants for the NSW Government to become involved,” she wrote.
Or as Mr Schroder put it in his report to council,the DRNSW“has identified this site as having potential to underpin a larger marine precinct and, before potentially committing additional funds to underpin a full business case, wants to do a ‘Market Sounding’ to gauge the full level of demand for this newly zoned site”.
Mr Schroder wrote in his report that a “whole-of-agency meeting … involving Regional Directors from Crown Lands, Office of Environment, NSW Planning, Road and Maritime Services, Finance NSW, Transport NSW, Northern Rivers RDA and Department of Premiers and Cabinet” had taken place on June 10.
“All expressed support for the development of the Marine Precinct at Harwood as their priority site,” he wrote.
“The Department has talked to the Harwood Marine management about the scoping proposal.”
Mr Schroder also told councillors that his recommendation would “move” a previous resolution “forward” – that “Council do all things possible to work with [Yamba Welding] to keep up to 100 local marine-based jobs in the Clarence Valley, this includes … identify[ing] all possible land available to support the growth of the business in the Clarence Valley”.
However, when the Independent contacted proprietors of Yamba Welding and Harwood Marine, neither of the men, Bill Collingburn and Ross Roberts (respectively), had been party to the June 10 consultation.
“Council hasn’t contacted me,” said Mr Collingburn, who said he had spent $200,000 on studies as part of his failed proposal for Palmers Island.
However, he said it was a “bloody good” thing if Harwood Marine had “land to sell and attract people” to the area.
“But let’s not put the cart before the horse, let’s do all of the studies and make sure we have something to sell,” he said.
Mr Collingburn backed any businesses that “encourage more people to come to the valley”.
Mr Roberts, who said the marine precinct was about “creating jobs”, was “not invited to any meetings” however, he said that “regional conferences happen all of the time” and that he “had not looked at the [CVC] business paper”.
He said he had been talking with various departments for years and that he was proud of what his company had achieved,in over half a century of operations, and its ability to build boats for international clients – Harwood Marine has built ships up to 80 metres in length.
“We’re a small company punching above our weight,” he said.
“We are not developers, we are ship builders.”
Councillors block NSW Gov’s ‘market sounding’ proposal: www.clarencevalleynews.com.au/councillors-block-nsw-govs-market-sounding-proposal