NSW Greens MP Cate Faehrmann visited the site in Dalmeny with Eurobodalla Shire Councillor Alison Worthington. Photo: Supplied.
Four Eurobodalla Shire councillors have spoken in favour of more community consultation on the master plan and development control plan for a large block of land in Dalmeny, north of Narooma.
In October 2021 the Eurobodalla Shire Council sold the land to a private developer without having a master plan, which some councillors said had created problems.
Councillor Alison Worthington submitted five questions on notice that were discussed at the monthly council meeting on Tuesday (18 June).
Councillor Anthony Mayne said he thought the missing master plan was a critical issue from the get-go while Councillor Amber Schutz said the situation showed why it was critical to have master plans in place prior to selling off land.
“It is a really difficult position for staff to be in, for the developer to be in and for the community to be in,” she said. “I would like to see more consultation and meaningful consultation on this one.”
Councillor Mayne said there was a lack of trust and understanding in the community.
“We heard of correspondence being sent, and there is further ambiguity in the community, which had led to these questions on notice today,” Cr Mayne said.
He welcomed any opportunity to consult the community.
“At the moment there is distrust, and we need to do anything we can to allay that,” Cr Mayne said.
However, acting director planning and environment Gary Bruce said council staff had already done preliminary informal consultation over the past year.
“Now we are finalising and going on to submission and will then report to council,” Mr Bruce said.
The land is steep, undulating, with water courses throughout, in a bushfire-prone area. Photo: Supplied.
Sally Christiansen is a member of Dalmeny Matters, a community group opposed to developing the land, which has several environmental constraints and is prone to bushfires. She was encouraged that so many councillors seemed to be on board with the issue, calling for more community consultation and acknowledging the land’s environmental constraints.
“Councillor Mayne spoke about the issues with the process when the land was originally sold which has created so much distrust and suspicion which is why he wants to ensure best practice community consultation,” Ms Christiansen said. Given Mr Bruce’s perspective that consultation had already occurred “it would take more push from those councillors to see more consultation”. Furthermore, the developer’s attitude to more consultation is unknown. “We want to reach out to the developer,” she said.
Ms Christiansen said she would be interested in the opinion of council staff of how Dalmeny fitted into council’s recently released draft housing strategy.
“As Councillor Schutz said, it is a difficult position for Council to be in,” Ms Christiansen said. “It will be worth having this conversation with any incoming councillors.”
Ms Christiansen noted that Cr Worthington mentioned there were two versions of the draft plan. The owners presented a master plan concept to councillors in a briefing that was very different from the council’s draft master plan that had been presented to the community. “I wonder if anyone would provide further information on that?”
The councillors also discussed a $25.6 million development of 36 two-bedroom shop-top dwellings in Graham Street, Narooma. The development application was registered in June 2023. The development exceeds the 11.5-metre maximum building height in the Eurobodalla local environmental plan by more than 10 per cent and therefore must be determined by the council.
Councillors said that while the shop-top development did not include any affordable housing, it did provide a lower entry point for young people than three-bedroom houses on suburban blocks. On the basis it provided much needed housing stock and added to diversity, the councillors determined in favour of the development.
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