Rodney Stevens
When construction commences on the controversial $34 million Park Avenue 136 moveable home development Yamba residents will encounter thousands of truck movements importing more than 30,000 cubic metres of fill which will be built up to 4.45 metres above sea level, council documents have revealed.
Hometown Australia lodged DA 2021/0558 with Clarence Valley Council for 136 Dwellings, one exhibition home, and community facilities including clubhouse, swimming pool, gym and cinema, associated infrastructure and landscaping in August 2021.
When council placed the DA on public exhibition it received 21 submissions concerning the development about issues including stormwater drainage and flooding, maintenance of the existing drain, traffic and parking impacts, adequacy of infrastructure and services to cater for population increase, privacy impacts on adjoining landowners, pedestrian access to Yamba Fair, lowering of property prices from the development and the size of house sizes.
After the development application was assessed by council staff, councillors voted 4-2 in a split decision to refer the development to the Northern Regional Planning Panel NRPP in February 2022.
In March 2022 the NRPP deferred their decision for a flood evacuation plan to be prepared, then in July 2022 the NRPP again deferred its decision so a comprehensive independent flood risk study could be conducted and considered.
The NRPP then met in October 2022 and the DA was approved in another split vote 3-2, with both council representatives, former Mayor, Ian Tiley, and former Deputy Mayor, Greg Clancy, voting against.
Last week the CV Independent featured a story about a “Dilapidation Survey” sent to all adjoining property holders, which was a requirement of council before construction commenced as a condition of their DA.
This survey signals development is imminent and council’s assessment report on the DA reveals all dwellings in the development must have a primary habitable floor level 500mm above the 1:100-year flood level of 3.01 metres AHD (Australian Height Datum) elevation above sea level.
The assessment report details the additional fill that is required on the site to achieve a level above the 1:100-year flood level, which will reach a maximum level of 4.45 metres AHD along part of the southern boundary.
“Additional fill is required to be placed on the site to achieve the minimum flood level (plus freeboard) and enable sufficient grade for on-site stormwater drainage,” council’s assessment report states.
“It is anticipated that the proposed development will result in a maximum fill height of 1.6m above existing levels in the south easter corner of the site.
“This will result in an expected 32,850m3 (cubic metres) of fill to be imported to the site.
“This equates to approximately 2,600 truck movements.”
Council’s Engineering Services Report on the DA reveals the varying heights of fill around the 6.62-hectare site, which had previously been filled with dredged material under approval by Maclean Shire Council DA 2002/0085, which will reach 4.45 metres AHD behind homes along Yamba Road.
The Engineering Services report reveals, behind the existing drain along the back of Yamba Road properties in which pumps will be installed to remove excess water, levels of fill up to 4.45 metres AHD will be reached, with fill heights varying along this boundary from 3.8 to 4.45 metres AHD, and a 1:4 batter sloping away from the site into the existing drain.
Council’s assessment report explains the additional fill was needed to achieve minimum floor levels and allow for a centrally located underground stormwater retention basin that will collect the stormwater and treat it onsite before it is discharged in three points, the eastern side of Shores Drive, and through inter-allotment drainage lines on the northwest and northern boundaries.
In total, 35,740 cubic metres of fill are required to bring the site above 1:100-year flood levels, with 2,900 cubic metres to be excavated from the middle of the site for the stormwater retention basin, leaving a nett fill volume on the site of 32,840 cubic metres.
To address privacy concerns, the dwellings in the Park Avenue development will be set back a minimum of 10.64 metres and up to a maximum of 31.99 metres from the homes located along the southern boundary on Yamba Road.