Public hearing for draft planning proposal: reclassification of community land to operational land
Reference: OP0098-S006
Public hearing: Thursday 4 May 2023, starting at 10am in the Council Chambers, 89 Vulcan Street, Moruya
Register to speak at the public hearing by: Wednesday 3 May 2023 at 4.30pm
Planning proposal
Eurobodalla Shire Council has gained gateway determination to amend the Eurobodalla Local Environmental Plan 2012.
This planning proposal has been prepared in accordance with Section 3.33(2) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.
The purpose of the planning proposal is to justify the proposed amendments to Eurobodalla Local Environmental Plan 2012 (ELEP 2012) involving the reclassification of community land to operational land.
There are eleven (11) sites proposed to be reclassified. Seven (7) small sites that adjacent property owners who wish to purchase for private open space.
Three (3) sites are recommended to be reclassified and sold by Council’s Open Space and Recreation Strategy because they are considered surplus to public need.
Council considers the following Surplus to Public Need and wants to sell the parcels:
1. Part of Lot 1110 DP236653 (35-37 Illabunda Drive, Malua Bay)
2. Lot 84 in DP 259212 (Village Road and Banyandah Street, South Durras)
3. Part of Lot 74 DP 776541 (9 Moir Place, Broulee)
One (1) site relating to land with existing Council infrastructure on a public reserve. This site is not proposed to be sold.
Do you object to the Council selling these reserves that were dedicated as Public Reserves?
Public hearing
A public hearing is required to be held when public land is being reclassified under Section 29 of the Local Government Act 1993.
A public hearing will be held on Thursday 4 May 2023, 10am at the Council Chambers in Moruya. If you wish to make representation to the hearing, you must register with Council by 4.30pm on Wednesday 3 May 2023:
by email council@esc.nsw.gov.au or
in writing to PO Box 99, Moruya NSW 2537
A public hearing gives the community an opportunity to discuss issues with an independent person in a public forum. The public hearing be independently chaired.
Council will consider all submissions and the public hearing report before deciding about whether to proceed and forward their decision to the NSW Government. The NSW Minister for Planning is the Local Plan Making Authority for this planning proposal.
NOTE: In November 2017 Council moved to sell a parcel of land in McMillan Road, Narooma
Council staff at the time took the observation of a consultant who did a "drive by" that the vacant block was "surplus to need".
The block of land would be a major windfall for the coffers of Council so they earmarked selling the land
But in the dodgiest way possible they didn't tell the community they were planning on selling "Walker Park" but instead mentioned it, only by Lot and DP number, at the bottom of a Draft Recreation and Open Space Strategy.
https://www.esc.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/149895/Draft-ROSS-2017.pdf
"M52 - Investigate options for reclassification, subdivision and sale of Lot 558, DP 752155 for residential purposes.
Alas, for the Council, I knew the history and I advised Councillor Constable and Narooma residents who lived adjacent to the Park of Council's intention to sell the gifted land saying it was "surplus to need".
The Narooma News reported:
In regards to Walker Park at Narooma, the Eurobodalla Council has advised that the proposal to investigate the sale of Walker Park listed in the draft Recreation and Open Space Strategy was incorrect.
The spokesperson said the recommendation to sell this community asset would not be included in the final document. The council’s website has been updated with the correction.
The council’s director of Community, Arts and Recreation, Kathy Arthur has called some of the residents who raised the matter with Narooma News and with the council to assure them the park will not be sold and to ask them what improvements they might like to see in the park.
The whole thing with the land sales of Council reserves began in 2010 and continued into 2015 and then onwards.
In February 2015 Council justified its actions saying "Council has a number of properties identified as being surplus to needs. In accordance with Council’s Property Strategy it is appropriate for these properties to be sold".
These parcels being sold were dedicated as Public Reserves. The Council of the day insisted that the developer put these lots aside as public spaces. This denied the developer from selling them. But now Council, as the owner can sell them by simply having a consultant drive by and observe that there was no-one using the reserve on the day and as a result declare them "surplus to need".
It is understood that there will be speakers to the Public Hearing on Thursday 4 May 2023, starting at 10am
