Rodney Stevens
The Northern Regional Planning Panel has come to a unanimous decision to demolish the Treelands Drive Community Centre despite public submissions calling for the 24-year-old facility to be extended instead of being knocked-down and rebuilt.
On March 14, when the Northern Regional Planning Panel NRPP met via videoconference to decide on the development application DA, only the votes of government appointed panel members Dianne Leeson, Michael Wright and Stephen Gow decided the fate of the application.
Ordinarily, the votes of two Clarence Valley Council CVC members of the panel would be included, but due to Ian Tiley, Greg Clancy and Peter Johnstone declaring conflicts of interest as they had voted on council motions related to the development, they were excluded from voting.
Following the videoconference, the NRPP’s decision was published on Wednesday, March 22.
The NRPP detailed its reasons for approving the DA, stating the proposal is permissible with consent in the SP2 Infrastructure zone for Community Facilities.
“The Panel agrees that although a library and gallery is separately defined (Information and Educational Facility) it is a use that is ordinarily incidental or ancillary to the proposed Community Facility and thereby permissible,” the NRPP said.
“The proposed use is consistent with the Plan of Management (2018) and the 2018 Masterplan adopted by council.”
The DA was approved subject to a number of conditions in the council assessment report, which were amended by the panel.
The panel determined the proposed single storey building is in keeping with the scale of neighbouring development, adequate services are available to the site and stormwater runoff can be adequately managed.
“Potential noise and light intrusion impacts on adjoining residential properties have been assessed and adequately resolved through design amendments and imposed conditions addressing issues such as hours of operation, landscape treatment, fencing, and lighting design,” the NRPP said.
“The site is above the 1 in 100-year flood level and no alterations to the land are proposed that will result in adverse or cumulative impacts on flood behaviour of surrounding areas.
“The proposal will have positive social benefits by providing modern and accessible community meeting facilities, expanded library space, community kitchen and gallery space.
“The Panel has carefully considered all relevant issues raised in submissions and believes they have been resolved by design of the proposal, management or operational measures to be adopted by the proponent and/or conditions imposed by this approval.”
In coming to its decision, the panel considered written submissions made during public exhibition and heard from all those wishing to address the panel.
Issues of concern addressed included the amenity for neighbouring residential development, project funding and stormwater management and flooding.
“The Panel considers that concerns raised by the community relevant to the Panel’s assessment and determination, have been adequately addressed in the Assessment Report and that no new issues requiring assessment were raised during the public meeting,” the NRPP said.
“The Panel notes that in addressing these issues, appropriate conditions have been imposed.”
A CVC spokesman said the demolition of the existing Treelands Drive Community Centre building and construction of the Yamba Community Precinct is due to start in September 2023.