Letters

Building on flood plains

Ed,

The NRPP committee members have issued their report on why they approved the DA for the construction of 136 manufactured homes to be located at 8 Park Ave and we gain a glimpse into their mindset by such statements as “The majority conclude that the proposal is orderly development, that will be socially and environmentally beneficial”. The “majority” being the three State Government appointed puppets who seemed determined that this development was always going to be approved. (As displayed by their attitude towards the residents who addressed them about their lived experience in February and March this year). Accolades to Councillors Tiley and Clancy, our two local representatives for their dissent.

According to yet another of the thought bubbles which led to the decision to disregard local, real and compelling advice was: “The majority believe the proposal will have positive socio-economic impacts because it will add to the stock and diversity of housing available in Yamba thus improving housing choice and diversity” which is complete and utter balderdash! These dwellings do nothing for those who need “affordable” housing nor for those over 55s who don’t have $350K to $1.2million IN CASH because one cannot get a mortgage to buy into these estates (the developer owns the land & you get to own the dwelling and lease your plot).

The very Act under which they operate “Residential (Land Lease) Communities Act 2013” excludes all those under 55 so young families can’t even put their hands up for one of the homes. So where is the diversity. What Yamba will get is a whole lot more cashed up folk who have sold the family home elsewhere and wish to downsize to somewhere nice. They will place no strain on the local schools nor on the (recently upgraded) skate park BUT they will place a strain on the local health facilities (there are only three medical practices in Yamba so good luck getting a doctor) on our retail outlets and on parking spaces everywhere as there is a lack of decent public transport to take them anywhere other than 8 Park Ave. In my oral submission to the NRPP I said that I detected the stench of male bovines. And I still do!

Because they will be an affluent older cohort, the economic bounty they bring to town will flow to whom? Hometown the developers of this site are not locals so all of the lease payments leave the local area and contribute nothing to the town (except the flooding caused by the fill they are adding to the flood prone areas). The Council Rates will not be 136 individual residential payments for “Parkside” 8 Park Ave but one rates payment for an “industrial” site yet some 150 – 200 extra people will place stain on the infrastructure of roads and local services. Les Reeves, in his submission, pointed out that our local Coles cannot keep up during peak holiday times and one finds empty shelves then. Another 200 (ish) locals will exacerbate this even more.

I fear that Yamba Road is not a yellow brick road and that adding more fill on the floodplain will not create an emerald city so perhaps our roads will not be paved with gold after all.

As an aside, what happened to Premier Perrottet’s statement that building on flood plains stops right NOW???

Ian Warlters, Yamba