You may notice that the Illawarra Mecury story on the Headlands Hotel mentions that “Wollongong City Council received 41 objections and 31 letters of support on the development proposal.”

By the twisted reasoning by the present WCC community engagement policy submissions from Neighbourhood Forums count as one submission!

This means that a major formal community meeting, at which 30 or so people may attend and agree to make a community based submission, has the same standing (numerically) as a single individual.

I attended the NF3 forum which agreed to make the submission on the Headland Hotel development proposal. There was a good attendance, and i reckon it was well over twenty people, maybe 30.

So the figures quoted in the story in the Illawarra Mercury does not accurately represent the real situation to the wider community.

I was told by one of the WCC Community Engagement workers, who sees no problem with this bizarre dismissal of the importance of their own community engagement mechancism, that they could add weight to any NF submission if all those attending signed it individually. What a farce!

This is often not possible, as the letter has to be drafted after the meeting and submitted before the date of the next meeting – as is the case with the Headland Hotel proposal.

The external review of the Neighbourhood Forums (to be conducted in February and March, 2010) needs to redress this ridiculous situation so that a submission from a Neighbourhood Forum is treated with the proper respect and weighting it deserves.

Make no mistake – this is part of a power struggle.The present WCC community engagement policy is the one which complies with the administrators hidden specifications, not that of engaged members of our communities.

We have a very long way to go to return some small degree of power to our local communities. At the moment far too much power is concentrated in the hands of remote and autocractic bureaucrats and professionals who have a proven record of putting the interests of developers over the interests of our communities.

And the growing mess we live in, locally and globally, is a direct result of the inability of these remote decision-makers to get it right! People power is a key ingredient in what is required to rectify this imbalance.

Bruce Reyburn
Friday 11 Dec 2009

“Fears over Headlands Hotel plan
BY LAUREL-LEE RODERICK Illawarra Mercury
11 Dec, 2009

Plans to redevelop the Headlands Hotel site at Austinmer with a spa resort, 18 serviced apartments and seven bed and breakfast dwellings have attracted more than 70 public submissions.

Wollongong City Council received 41 objections and 31 letters of support on the development proposal.

…

The application is now being assessed, but next week the council administrators will also decide whether the site should have its own specific development controls and rules.

A report to be tabled at Tuesday’s council meeting is recommending the council prepare a development control plan specific to the Headlands Hotel site, which will be zoned for tourism under the draft Wollongong Local Environmental Plan.

“The site is one of the most significant remaining privately owned large parcels of land along the NSW coastline,” the report says. “

full story
http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/news/local/news/general/fears-over-headlands-hotel-plan/1702013.aspx

A question then arises regarding what, if any, changes will be made possible by the development control plan – in order to protect the environmental and social access etc..

Illawarra Mercury

“Last act: Keneally approves Sandon Point rezoning
BY LAUREL-LEE RODERICK
10 Dec, 2009
Sandon Point has been rezoned under new legislation quietly passed by the State Government in Premier Kristina Keneally’s final week as Minister for Planning.

The new legislation, passed on November 27, overrides Wollongong City Council zonings and other state planning policies.

Residents only became aware of the rezoning after news of the legislation was published in the Government Gazette on Friday.”

full story

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/news/local/news/general/last-act-keneally-approves-sandon-point-rezoning/1701529.aspx

—————–

http://more.nsw.gov.au/gazette

search on Sandon Point goes to item and link:

State Environmental Planning Policy
(Major Development) Amendment
(Sandon Point) 2009
under the
Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979

http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/sessionalview/sessional/epi/2009-549.pdf

David Campbell, despite his many achievements over a long and steady political career, has proven himself, as Minister for the Illawarra, to be a complete failure when it came to being a champion for the democratic rights of the Illawarra’s peoples.

He chose, instead, to mutter about not being happy about things, toe the NSW ALP party line, and to turn his attention to less challenging areas. To date, Paul McLeay has done exactly the same thing.

Now is Paul McLeay’s chance to show he is different from his predecessor – by taking on the task of ensuring – as a matter of top priotity – our democratic rights for an elected local Council (in Wollongong and Shellharbour) are restored with a local government election in 2010.

With the governmental paralysis which savage internecine infighing brings (such as is a classic case with the NSW ALP at the moment) we need to be able to take charge of our own affairs with little, if any, further delay. The ALP owes us this much (before they implode).

From Illawarra Mercury:

“Paul McLeay the new Minister for the Illawarra
BY MEGAN LEVY
08 Dec, 2009
Heathcote MP Paul McLeay will take on the role of Minister for the Illawarra in a new-look state cabinet unveiled in Sydney this afternoon.

Mr McLeay, in his second term as an MP, will also retain the role of Ports Minister under the leadership of new NSW Premier Kristina Keneally.

Mr McLeay takes over the Illawarra role from David Campbell, who keeps his portfolio of Transport and Roads under today’s changes.”

full story:
http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/news/local/news/general/paul-mcleay-the-new-minister-for-the-illawarra/1699328.aspx

NEIGHBOURHOOD FORUM AREA 3 SUBMISSION

Re:  HEADLAND HOTEL, AUSTINMER REDEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL

DA-2009/1313, DA-2009/1315, DA-2009/1316, DA-2009/1317, DA-2009/1318, DA-2009/1319, DA-2009/1320, DA-2009/1321, DA-2009/1322

The Headlands Hotel is on an iconic headland at Austinmer.  It is acknowledged the existing hotel is a somewhat run down popular place amongst locals and visitors to the area.

Whilst acknowledging the present proposal is less oppressive than previous proposals, the Neighbourhood Forum has a number of concerns about the proposal to demolish the existing hotel and replace it with seven dwellings and a spa.

The subdivision of the existing block into eight lots and the building of seven bed and breakfast dwellings with individual swimming pools raise the question of the future of the site.  The seven dwellings appear to be residential and are on individual lots.  The site is zoned for tourism with heights and floor space ratios in excess of residential allowed on such a site.  The concern of the Neighbourhood Forum is the possible use of these seven dwellings as residences whose size is in excess of what would otherwise be allowed.  The subsequent sterilisation of this land for the use of tourists is a very real possibility, should the land be re-zoned, or the owners choose not to allow the properties to be used as bed and breakfasts.

The question of the adequacy of parking spaces for those using the bed and breakfasts has also been raised.

The existing hotel leaves a large amount of land open to public use on the headland.  The proposed structures will virtually cover the whole of the site.  The land that will be able to be used by the public is a narrow strip on the eastern side of the development.  The plantings shown on the plans would lead the average person to think the land is part of the development and discourage public recreation. 

Given the level of coastal erosion in our area, the forum is concerned that this land will be lost to the public in the future.  Another question raised should this development go ahead, and the buildings be affected by erosion, will rate payers be liable for compensation to the developer/owner?  Given that the development will have the amenity of the coastal location, is there any requirement for the owners to aid in the protection of the coastline immediately adjacent? 

The Neighbourhood Forum is pleased that the large trees on site are to be retained.

Neighbourhood Forum members have questions about the effect of the necessary earthworks for the spa parking area and the numerous swimming pools on the stability of the headland.

Parking has also been raised as a possible problem.  The spa has 36 car parking spaces which seem to members to be

Another question raised is where this proposal sits in relation to the New South Wales Coastal Policy and who the consent authority is.  The Neighbourhood Forum asks that this proposal be reviewed by the Independent Hearing Assessment Panel prior to any decision being made. 

Alice Cartan

Chairperson

Neighbourhood Forum Area 3

1/12/09 

———————————————-

SEE ALSO (Not part of NF3 submission)

http://overdevelopment.isnot.gd/headies/

“Interview with former manager of Wollongong Council
Source: Stateline NSW
Published: Friday, December 4, 2009 8:35 AEDT
Expires: Thursday, March 4, 2010 8:35 AEDT

Stateline speaks to Rod Oxley, the former general manager of the Wollongong City Council, which was sacked because of systematic corruption. “

http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2009/12/04/2762687.htm