Rodney Stevens

The developer behind Pam Lake Resort Yamba’s Orion Drive expansion has lodged a request to modify the Development Application masterplan to increase the size and relocate the clubhouse, increase the number of two storey dwellings from 50 to 72 and centralise the property access.

Palm Lake Works Pty Ltd lodged the DA modification with Clarence Valley Council which received 57 public submissions against the proposal while on public exhibition.

The public submissions raised issues including impacts to local biodiversity and ecosystems including coastal wetlands, stormwater outlet to river and surrounding wetlands, overdevelopment of the site and impacts on surrounding residential amenity, impact on traffic on Yamba Road/Orion Drive, the increase in the number of two storey dwellings result in the development being not substantially the same and lack of storage for recreational vehicles.

Originally, the clubhouse or ‘Community Facility’ was almost half the size and located in the south-western corner of the site with an adjacent entrance. 

Details of the modifications proposed include:

1. The relocation and redesign of the Clubhouse facility to the south-eastern corner of the site;
2. The relocation of the main vehicular entrance from Orion Drive to the centre of the southern boundary;
3. Make minor changes to existing internal site boundaries between dwellings (aligning sites) to improve solar accessibility and privacy and increase the number of dwellings;
4. Proposed new house designs that are more responsive to the current need and local market;
5. Relocate and better distribute visitor car parking spaces throughout the development site;
6. Make improvements to the efficiency of the internal layout,
7. With the exception of dwellings fronting Orion Drive, make all dwellings two (2) storey,
8. Requesting updated plans to be approved as part of the modified consent,
9. Requesting a number of conditions be modified to reflect the improved layout; and
10. Restructure the consent into a more chronological order to give the certifier/developer clarity on relevant trigger points for the development.

“The community facility…is being reoriented to face the street and is being increased in size from approximately 740m2 to approximately 1,380m2,” council papers state.

“Additionally, the first-floor caretaker dwelling is being removed and converted to additional floor area within the community facility.”

The modification also reduces the number of house designs from 12 to five.

“The changes to the number of two storey dwellings has risen from 50 overall to 72 under the proposed modification,” council papers state.

“The original approval had up to 12 house designs whereas the proposed modification seeks to rationalise the number of designs to five designs.”

At its November meeting, council approved a previous modification request which amended the internal road layout, redesign of clubhouse, redesign of house types and removal of the small caravan/boat storage facility to provide room for a third bio-retention basin.

Council staff have recommended that Council:

1. Accept the Section 4.55(2) modification application MOD2022/0027 is substantially the same development as approved under DA2007/0884; and
2. Approve the Section 4.55(2) modification application, being MOD2022/0068 of DA2007/0884, subject to the amended draft Advices and Conditions contained in Schedule 1 and restructured in accordance with Attachment E.

To approve the modifications council must be satisfied that the development is substantially the same development to that originally made…and not as subsequently modified, that the application has been correctly notified and has considered submissions made to the proposed modification.

Clarence Valley Councillors voted on whether to approve the modifications to the DA at its rescheduled meeting last night (Tuesday December 13).

See next week’s CV Independent for a full report and result of the vote.