| Who is Byron Bay West Land Owners Association? |
- A collective of land owners who own most of the subject study area and who are responsible for requesting and fulfilling the requirements of the State Significant Site study process.
- Owners are predominantly long-term Byron Shire residents. In no particular order the owners are Tony Smith (Byron Shire local), Alan Heathcote (Byron Shire local), Gary Macdonald (Local resident), Richard Sykes (Melbourne based), Crighton Properties (Mid North Coast and Central Coast based), David O’Connor (Byron Shire local), Warren Simmons (Byron Shire local) and Keven Rogers (long-term Byron investor).
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| What is the process? |
- The State Significant Site study is the first of three main planning stages. The SSS process will resolve the zoning of the land and basic development controls like maximum height of buildings.
- The second planning stage will be a detailed master plan and Development Control Plan.
- The third stage will be the preparation and assessment of Development Applications.
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| What is planned for the area? |
- The land has been identified as a potential urban rezoning area for more than 25 years. In September 2009, the area was declared as a potential State Significant Site.
- The current investigations are part of the State Significant Site study (”SSS study”) to determine zoning options for the land. This process has taken until late 2010 and the preferred option will be submitted to the NSW Department of Planning for their consideration.
- The zones in the preferred option include residential zones and conservation zones, and a small light industrial area.
- The SSS study looks closely at what is involved in creating a self-contained village with its own local shop and parks, and which is pedestrian and bike-friendly. A lot can be done to reduce reliance on cars. After the land is rezoned, a more detailed master planning process will occur, followed by development applications.
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| What will the SSS study deliver? |
- The study is a very comprehensive examination of the impacts of proposed development, including factors such as ecology, traffic/transport, air quality, noise impact, flooding, utilities infrastructure and heritage.
- The project so far has generated assessments and reports on a range of environmental, social and economic matters. Those reports are yet to be finalised and are not yet available to the public. All reports will be submitted to the Department of Planning and will be exhibited for public comment in due course.
- The SSS study has included recommending land uses and development controls for the site. If the SSS study is approved, the land will be rezoned to the appropriate mix of zones, and development controls will apply to lot sizes, building heights and other planning issues. After that, a detailed master plan will then be developed, followed by applications for development consents.
- The SSS study will be accompanies by a Preliminary Development Control Plan. This DCP will provide a lot of additional detail about development concepts on the site. It will also guide future master planning and a more detailed DCP at a later date.
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| What is BBWLA doing about traffic? |
- The existing problems with Ewingsdale Road and the town centre are well known. This road and the wider road and street network have been the subject of detailed assessment and impact modelling for this SSS process.
- This assessment includes proposed developments and trends such as the Byron Regional Sportsfields and Cultural Centre, the Bayshore Village development, and tourism projections.
- Even without West Byron, the population of the northern rivers region and southeast Queensland will continue to grow, and average traffic volumes in and around Byron Bay are likely to increase in the long term.
- Options for infrastructure improvements such as the town centre bypass have been under consideration for about 15 years.
- Council and the state government also have a role in addressing traffic problems.
- The project team believe that the West Byron development should be seen as a catalyst for making progress with the traffic problems.
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| Why isn’t this project being approved by Council? |
- BBWLA initially sought to work solely with Council to commence the planning process. These attempts have been unable to achieve results over several years, so the BBWLA has taken the opportunity under NSW State Legislation to request the SSS declaration to allow us to undertake an integrated set of studies and an assessment of planning options for the area.
- Council is not being excluded from the planning process. Council’s adopted policies (e.g. affordable housing, biodiversity, economic development) have been considered, and Council’s views on planning and housing outcomes have been sought. We are committed to ensuring that the process adheres to the letter and the spirit of all legislation and policies appropriate to our work.
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| Will development be sustainable? |
- Sustainability has been a key consideration in the development of preferred zones and development controls for the site.
- Many of the “on the ground” aspects of sustainability will be taken into account in the master planning building controls in later stages of the planning process.
- The SSS study is only about zoning and development controls, it does not include the development of subdivisions and buildings – they come later. The SSS study has taken a range of environmental, social and economic sustainability guidelines into account. If the SSS study establishes additional benchmarks at West Byron, they too will become part of the rules that will guide the exact nature of development approvals sought for the site.
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| What is it going to look like? We don’t want the area to turn into another estate, the same as everywhere else. |
- Design is important at each stage of the planning process – design of zones, design of infrastructure, streets and lot layouts, and design of houses. The SSS study for West Byron uses an urban design process to support the development of new housing and architecture that is appropriate and appealing to the local community and potential residents.
- We acknowledge that the site is highly visible from Ewingsdale Road. There needs to be a mixture of visual treatments along the frontage of the site, and landscaping will be a strong component of this.
- After the land is rezoned, a master plan and detailed DCP will be developed. These will include detailed landscaping and housing design guidelines.
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| How many new houses will there be? |
- West Byron can provide approximately 48 hectares of residential land. We are aiming at development densities of between 12 and 25 dwellings per hectare in a range of different types of housing including terrace houses, units, dual occupancy, secondary dwellings (granny flats), and conventional detached houses.
- Based on an average of 18 dwellings per hectare, this translates to approximately 850 dwellings.
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| How many people will reside at West Byron? |
- Within the site itself, the population may reach 1,800 people.
- Based on Department of Planning estimates and other statistics which indicate that the average number of people living in a house or unit will continue on a downward trend, we believe the development will add approximately 1,500 people to the Shire’s population.
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| What will the average lot size be? |
- This is a complex issue and there is no “one size fits all” answer to determining appropriate lot sizes. The SSS study looks at the factors that influence housing affordability and considers housing options, government policies, and urban design guidelines.
- We recognise that there is a requirement for diverse lot sizes and a wider range in the size of dwellings that people can choose to live in. The layout and lot sizes of West Byron will be designed in response to those requirements in the master planning phase and in development applications.
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| Will West Byron exceed the capacity of Byron’s sewerage treatment plant? |
- Adequate servicing for the area will be a critical factor in any planning consents received. Given our estimated population and the time-frame for construction, we anticipate that the sewerage treatment plant and its artificial wetlands will be more than adequate for any development of the area.
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| Some of this land is “flood-prone”, how will you meet requirements not to affect flooding? |
- The SSS study includes a flood model that will examine flood patterns. Under State government guidelines the flood model must take climate change, including sea level rise and changing rainfall patterns, into account.
- “High hazard” flood areas have been identified and will be avoided. The effects of earthworks will be modelled to ensure minimum disturbance to flood patterns. Additional modelling may be required in the master plan and subdivision design stages, when different types of subdivision drainage and water sensitive urban design are considered.
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| What are we doing about ground water? |
- We acknowledge that the site has a high water table. This is not unusual on coastal sites and in existing developed areas. Engineering and “water sensitive urban design” consultants have advised that development is achievable subject to adapting engineering works, drainage and construction to the topography and other requirements of the site. Master planning and subdivision design work will identify the best drainage systems.
- Options for housing construction will be addressed at the master planning stage – for example it may be appropriate to use pole homes in some places rather than “concrete slab on ground”.
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| What will the ecological impacts be? |
- The SSS study includes a detailed examination of the environmental and ecological factors which need to be considered in planning for the future of the site. The preferred option for rezoning will identify land to be zoned for environmental protection.
- The SSS study includes detailed and expert studies on a range of important environmental factors, including (but not limited to) land-based ecology; marine ecology; bushfire hazard; acid sulfate soils; air quality; mosquito hazard; archaeological significance.
- Areas have been identified for substantial environmental regeneration which will improve the habitat values and wildlife corridors in and around West Byron.
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| What about the koalas? |
- Koalas have been sited at West Byron. We believe they are transient between other areas in the region. We intend to revegetate areas around the edge of the site with koala food trees and other species to ensure that the site continues to provide viable habitat.
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| What about Belongil Creek? |
- We want to provide controlled public access via boardwalks to selected places on the creek (we have discussed this with the Cape Byron Marine Park Authority). There will be a lot of rehabilitation and replanting of the creek edge and riparian areas.
- A large drain runs through the site from the Industrial Estate to Belongil Creek. Improvements to the drain may improve the quality of water flowing into the creek.
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| Sunnybrand is an important local employer – new residents might want it closed down. How can you protect these jobs? |
- Air quality assessment indicates sensitivity to different types of activity on the Sunnybrand site. Peak sensitivity is in residential housing, with lower sensitivity in non-residential development.
- A non-residential light industrial area is proposed between Sunnybrand and the residential area of West Byron, so that residents will be several hundred metres from the Sunnybrand. This will protect the amenity of residents of West Byron and ensure a peaceful coexistence with all neighbours.
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| What about the acid sulfate soils? |
- The potential for adverse environmental impacts due to disturbance of acid sulfate soils is well documented and well understood. The site has been investigated by reputable earth scientists with regard to acid sulfate soils and a range of other matters. It is acknowledged that potential acid sulfate soils occur on the site at varying depths.
- The existence of potential acid sulfate soils is not a prescription against development above the ground. Subdivision earthworks and building construction will need to be designed and managed to avoid disturbance of acid sulfate soils.
- The detail of subdivision design (earthworks), housing design, the use of Water Sensitive Urban Design techniques, will be addressed in the next more detailed stage of the planning process, which is the production of a detailed master plan and development controls prior to any development. This may result in the preparation of acid sulfate soils management plans in accordance with environmental guidelines.
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| When will building commence? |
- If the SSS study is approved and the land is rezoned, a master planning process will follow, together with applications for development consents. The planning process is very complex and there are many variables that could affect timings. If all approvals are received, building may commence in late 2013.
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