Bega Valley Shire Council’s August meeting discussed the housing crisis and the right to protest peacefully. Photo: Bega Valley Shire Council.
Bega Valley Shire Council has approved a caravan park’s plans to add 110 long-term sites and remove 54 short-term and camping sites.
Merimbula Lake Holiday Park’s development application (DA) came before councillors at a recent council meeting because it had received more than 10 objections.
Objections raised included having a development of that size so close to the lake’s foreshore, the development’s density, and the additional traffic at a dangerous intersection with the Princes Highway that does not have a slip lane.
The land is zoned SP3 tourist, C2 environmental conservation and C3 environmental management.
The DA said the land lease development would provide alternative and affordable housing opportunities. Caravans and moveable dwellings could be installed there.
Like the Merimbula Lake Village and Acacia Ponds land lease developments nearby, the leases would have tenures of up to five years, but would allow ongoing tenure for residents.
Hampshire Property Group owns those three land lease developments in Merimbula, plus the proposed one at Kalaru.
In the public forum before the council meeting, three people spoke against the DA.
Jacquelyn Hayes said she only learnt on 14 August that the development would greatly impact her property in a nearby land lease village. She said the development’s impact would be greatly reduced if there were 10 less sites.
Frankie Dowling said the development would significantly impact the protection of the lake and foreshore.
“I am just asking them to sacrifice 11 houses,” Ms Dowling said. “The community doesn’t believe there is consultation and council isn’t being provided with accurate information.”
The DA was approved.
Merimbula Lake Holiday Park will remove its 54 short-term and camping sites and add 100 long-term sites. Photo: Merimbula Lake Holiday Park Facebook.
Councillor Helen O’Neil said the proposal was not perfect, but she could not pass up the opportunity to have an additional 110 long-term sites and the shire needed the housing.
In the open forum Josh Heims and Manu Bohn addressed councillors. They live in a tiny home on wheels and council has issued them an eviction notice because there is no DA. They have presented a 500-signature petition asking council to declare a moratorium on orders that evict residents of tiny homes on wheels until council establishes a pathway to tiny home on wheels residency in consultation with the State Government.
Mr Heims asked councillors to put compassion over risk aversion. “Supporting this moratorium shows you recognise housing is a human right,” he said. “There are many people who are frightened they will be the next to be evicted.”
Mr Bohn said tiny homes made a big difference to people. “It gives us safety, dignity and a future.”
Maureen Gibbons who works in the field of design said they were not the exception and tiny homes were how people were adapting to the housing crisis.
“It is time to catch up with the reality and stop ignoring the human story,” Ms Gibbons said. “Housing isn’t a luxury. If the systems can’t give Bega Valley residents the security they deserve, it is time to change the systems.”
During the council meeting that followed Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick asked council staff to prepare a report on where council was taking compliance actions against people in what council considered to be illegal structures.
“There are people living in sheds who have illegally put toilets in them. If we follow through, we will make them homeless,” he said. “We need to know the whole situation.”
Three design options for Cuttagee Bridge’s restoration will be on public exhibition from 8 September. Photo: David Rogers Photography.
During the public forum Keith Robertson and Geoff Steel asked for more information and consultation about the three design options for Cuttagee Bridge. They want the designers to make a formal presentation to the Bermagui community.
Mr Robertson said the community engagement outcomes report that councillors would have should be shared with the public before councillors voted on which option to progress to detailed design on 12 November.
“We want that report to be shared so that the public can ask informed questions before councillors vote,” Mr Robertson said. The motion on the council agenda was changed to reflect that request.
Council staff said a public forum was not envisaged in the consultation plans, was not costed in and there was no time to organise one. There will be a meeting with stakeholders including Save Cuttagee Bridge Group, Bermagui Chamber of Commerce, local oyster farmers, Four Winds and bus companies.
During the meeting councillors also saw more technical plans of the three design options.
The design options will be publicly exhibited for at least 29 days from 8 September.
