NSW Government Urged to Call in Mollymook Beach Development and Review all Shoalhaven's Plans
Thursday, 04 July 2002 10:00
TEC has called on the State Government to call in a proposed large coastal development at Mollymook and to urgently review all of Shoalhaven's planning instruments to prevent further such inappropriate proposals from being approved.
"Yet again we have a stretch of beach front bushland being turned into a dense tourist/residential development by an out of town developer. This should never have been zoned for such development in the first place," said TEC campaigner Fran Kelly.
"It is time the NSW Planning Minister stepped in to the Shoalhaven area, took a long hard look at all of the Council's planning instruments and adjust them where necessary to put the land's capability and suitability first, rather than the demands of speculative landowners and developers," said Ms Kelly.
"This latest Mollymook development proposal is on land that is too close to the beach, will impact on an adjoining creek and the beach, will rely on on site sewage disposal which is absolutely inappropriate on such land and will require the destruction of some of the last areas of natural coastal bushland in Mollymook.
"Just because land has been zoned to allow development, as this land was some time ago, does not mean the owner and developer have an automatic right to go ahead and develop it in any way they want," said Ms Kelly.
"We have requested the Government call this controversial proposal in as a matter of urgency because Shoalhaven Council have a record of rushing through such proposals using delegated authority, " said Ms Kelly"
"The sooner the coastal environment and residential amenity are protected from inappropriate development the more chance there will be that the future along this most beautiful part of NSW will be sustainable," said Ms Kelly.
"If the current direction continues, eventually there will be no more land to release, rezone and develop at the behest of developers, and everyone will lose. Let's plan sensibly and with an eye on the long term, not on short term profits for a few speculators and developers," said Ms Kelly.
