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  • Writer's pictureThe Beagle

Batemans group creates a “Protect Batemans Bay from Outside Developers” petition

A group calling itself "Batemans" has begun an online petition they call “Protect Batemans Bay from Outside Developers” On the petition page the group specifically target the new Ohana apartments and show an image of the view, as it is before construction, from a property in High Street.

The petition, once signatures are collected, will be delivered to Core Developments The petition states: "We are concerned locals who have created this petition protesting the development that has been proposed and currently under construction to build a 7 storey, 67 apartment complex on the waterfront along Beach Road to give Canberra residents the chance to own a waterfront holiday apartment here in Batemans Bay. 

This new development, OHANA LUXURY APARTMENTS has been proposed by Canberra based company Core Developments to be built on the vacant lot 1 Herarde Street along Beach Road right on the water and in front of the Anglican Church and the surrounding neighbourhood.

If allowed to be built at such a scale, this will set a dangerous precedent for reshaping the types of developments built here in Batemans Bay and will spoil so much of the things we hold dear about our town. If this happens, it won't be long before further developers come into our community and build even larger high rise buildings and ruin the natural landscape. Batemans Bay is not the Gold Coast, people move here to get away from high rise buildings. We want to preserve the natural beauty of Batemans Bay, not have it turn into a concrete city like Canberra.

These luxury apartments were originally approved for 5 storeys, but were pushed through and managed to be raised to 7. If it's that easy, what's to stop more developers requesting higher and higher buildings to be built in our community, buildings that could potentially affect you and continue to decrease the beauty of the area. This development was bypassed by our local council and approved by The NSW Land and Environment Court. 

To have an outside developer come in with complete disregard for the community and build a structure that will rob local residents of their views, devalue their properties and ruin the natural beauty, just so tourists can own an ocean view apartment is appalling. Our local residents and preserving this beautiful community should take priority, not these outsiders and their ambitious overinflated projects that will impact and change the shape of our little seaside town.

Developers should also not be allowed to construct 7 storey high rise buildings in neighbourhoods next to single and double storey family homes and businesses. Development laws in an area are about precedent. If this is allowed to go ahead as it is on one part of the coast, it can easily be approved on another. How long before Beach Road is just high rise buildings?

This current development might not impact you at the moment, but if we don't stand against the precedent that has now been set, the next development could affect you. Developments should not come at the expense of local residents and the natural landscape. 

GOAL: We do not oppose development in the Bay, our goal is not to stop this development but to have them readjust the size of the building to better fit in with the surrounding area. The maximum height of buildings along Beach Road are 3 storeys and anything that exceeds 4 storeys along Beach Road is too high for the area. The current design stands at 7 storeys and buildings of this scale don’t belong situated on the waterfront, in a neighbourhood, towering over family homes and businesses, blocking out and ruining all the natural beauty for local residents. Natural beauty that tourists actually come here to see. Not concrete high rises. 

We are appealing to Core Developments to lower the height of their building from 7 to 4 storeys to better fit in with the surrounding neighbourhood and to lower the impact it has on the local community. https://www.change.org/ProtectBatemansBay READ MORE: Six stories of plush gets the green light in Batemans Bay Ohana in the Hawaiian language means ‘Family’ and for the foreshore of Batemans Bay, it’s about to mean a shiny six-story building – and the biggest view blocker to date for local stalwart Robin Innes.

“I’m not against development,” Mrs Innes says, “I just don’t like these developers coming to town doing whatever they like, why should they? Why isn’t 5 stories enough for them.”

Ohana is a luxury 67-apartment complex being developed by Canberra-based Core Developments. The $19 million project will stand 22 metres at it’s highest point, 7 metres above Council’s allowed limit.

Despite that, the development was approved at the August 27 meeting of Eurobodalla Shire Council. Mayor Liz Innes, the daughter of Robin Innes has remained at arm’s length and was absent from the meeting of August 27, 2019.

Green’s Councillor Pat McGinlay voted in favour of the development along with Crs Brown, Constable, Mayne, Pollock and Thomson.

NOTE: Comments were TRIALED - in the end it failed as humans will be humans and it turned into a pile of merde; only contributed to by just a handful who did little to add to the conversation of the issue at hand. Anyone who would like to contribute an opinion are encouraged to send in a Letter to the Editor where it might be considered for publication

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