Vincentia Coastal Village - Project Modification 9 and Concept Plan Mod 17

Hello Christopher
Thanks for the opportunity, I would like to note the access via the Wool Road needs to be looked at in peak time, as this will significantly impact the Wool road.
Studies conducted during Covid, when no one was about, is not a true reflection of the impact this development will have on the Wool rd. Another access other than the Wool road needs to be put forward.
Also why are the specialty shops where they are? They are a long way from the other shops?
This development will increase traffic over the already busy and dangerous cross path at the front of the existing shops, could traffic be diverted around the backof the car park not directly in front? As that is an accident waiting to happen.
I look forward to my submission being included.
Kind regards,
Brenda Garnett

The following is a submission to the Dept Planning on the modification plans. I strongly disagree with the way it has been presented. Unfortunately, I had great difficulty getting onto the Major Projects site to make my submission. Please accept this email as my submission.

This project must not proceed in its current format. It fails to to consider the negative affects on our lifestyle and importantly, the precious environment it is connected to.
* Since the COVID Pandemic our population has increased, and we have been inundated by visitors and tourists to the area. AT A MINIMUM, THERE MUST BE A NEW TRAFFIC SURVEY CONDUCTED - during a time that is a genuine representation of the traffic issues our area now experiences, preferably at peak holiday period in late December to January. (The Traffic Survey conducted was done during COVID when there was hardly anyone around and our movements were restricted. It is not valid for today.)

* IT IS MANDATORY A NEW ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT IS CONDUCTED. The new buildings and parking areas increase hard surfaces and will affect local temperatures and water runoff into Moona Moona Creek - flowing into Jervis Bay. Rainfall records, increases in population & visitors and use of the Home Co Market place, invalidate the earlier Environmental assessment that the approval was based on. Importantly, it did not take into consideration the nearby environmental assets. A new Environmental Assessment must fit in with the Illawarra Shoalhaven Regional Plan for the down-stream environment and catchment areas.

* PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IS CRITICAL. Throughout the site, pedestrians have no choice but to interact with vehicles of all types - trucks, buses, delivery vans. Accidents have occurred on the pedestrian crossing to the main entrance of the existing building; voices in the community have requested the traffic be relocated around the outskirts of the car park to improve safety. Considering the 2nd Stage is going to be a Wellness Centre containing a Medical Centre and Radiology, a large Child Care Centre and other high visitor outlets, there will be a significant increase in pedestrians.
It is important to note the last Census demonstrated our population increased by 8.9% since 2016. I would suggest it would be greater in 2022. Furthermore, the higher incidence in long term health problems - 30.7% higher than NSW, reflects the areas older demographic, and therefore a pedestrian population who cannot move quickly and will be at greater risk.

Also, the latest modifications are a poor variation from the original plans we were given. The retail precinct areas are too far away from each other, the separation of the proposed Stage 2 from the existing building - by a staff car park, is very poor design.

See attachment

Please see attachment

Submission for Development Project for Vincentia Coastal Village Project Modification
Number MP060025
Project Modification 9
Concept Plan Modification 10

This submission is made regarding Modification – 06_0025 MOD 9 Modification to Vincentia Coastal Village 8 Moona Creek Road, Vincentia.
I contend that the circumstances including climate change, population and post-pandemic lifestyle have changed significantly since 2009 and therefore modifications submitted in 2022 should not be allowed to use 2009 decisions, or those applied to subsequent Modifications as grounds on which to justify this proposed Modification – 06_0025 MOD 9. The rewriting of rainfall records, the increase in population now serviced by Marketplace and the dramatic upturn in Shoalhaven tourist visitors alone invalidate the earlier studies the Developments approval was based. In fact the conducting of a traffic survey for a few hours in the middle of the Pandemic lockdown experience is ample evidence of the inadequacy of the submission proposed to expand Home Co. The proposal states
On 7 January 2009, the Major Project Approval 06_0025 was granted under the former Part 3A of the EP&A Act. The Major Project Approval and its subsequent Modifications satisfied the definition of a “transitional Part 3A project” under Clause 2(1) of Schedule 2 to the Environmental Planning and Assessment (Savings, Transitional and other Provisions) Regulation 2017 (ST&OP Regulation), which came into effect on 1 March 2018.
Under the ST&OP Regulation, projects which were the subject of existing Part 3A approvals remained transitional Part 3A projects until they were transitioned to State Significant Development (SSD) (clause3(1) and clause (2), Schedule 2). On 8 February 2019, an Order was gazetted under Clause 6 of Schedule 2 of the ST&OP Regulation declaring this Major Project Approval to be State Significant Development under Part 4 of the EP&A Act.
As previously noted, the Major Project Approval has been modified eight times. Most relevant to the assessment of Home Co's proposed modification application is MOD6 which authorised design amendments in December 2014. MOD7 and MOD8 primarily authorised modifications to landscaping and are thus not material to this Scoping Report.
Development consent 06_0025 was granted on 9 January 2009 (note it states 7 January 2009 elsewhere) and subsequently amended by modifications 1-8. This modification seeks the deletion of Stage 1B and design changes to Stage 2 and 3 of the Major Project approval.
This MA represents the ninth modification to MP 06_0025, which seeks modify the development consent to include a series of modifications to the design of the proposal to develop the Site for next stage in the development.

The failure of the submission to incorporate any appreciation of or attention to the increased impact of the proposed amended development on the downstream environment of Moona Moona Creek, and associated natural fish hatchery, Jervis Bay National Park and Jervis Bay Marine Sanctuary, make the claims to meeting the Objectives of the Illawarra Shoalhaven Regional Plan unsustainable. For example:
Objective 11: Protect important environmental assets
The ‘avoid, minimise and offset’ hierarchy will be applied to areas identified for new or more intensive development. This requires development to avoid areas of validated high environmental value and consider appropriate offsets or other mitigation measures for unavoidable impacts. Where it is not possible to avoid impacts, councils must consider how impacts can be managed or offset through The Site has received concept approval under MP 06_0060 and MP 06_0058. Notwithstanding, an ecological review of the Site, which has been cleared of vegetation and comprises significant earthworks which have already been undertaken a Biodiversity Development Assessment Report has been undertaken which assesses the impact of the proposal on the existing ecological environment. The report is contained within Appendix G and includes mitigation measures.

A critical aspect of your proposal is that it only refers to the immediate site environment, whereas the Regional Plan takes a wholistic approach to catchment areas affecting environmental assets. It is essential the interests of those whose livelihoods depend on maintaining a pristine environment downstream from this development are taken into consideration.
Vincentia Matters calls for this Modification to be rejected and that Home Co be directed to consult with the community and submit new evidence that incorporates how future modifications will satisfy the concerns raised in this submission.

Further details of myconcerns:
I can see many problems that will arise from this Modification of the Development. These are concerns about safety of pedestrians, vehicle congestion and the effects on the environment.
The proposed Stage 2 development at Vincentia Marketplace incorporates an additional 5,016m2 mixed use comprising specialty retail (bulky goods), Pet Store, Vet, medical centre and gym and a 120 place child care centre
1) Vehicle congestion – the traffic report provided to support this development was conducted in November 2020 at a time when the Covid Pandemic restricted tourists and visitors to the area and the movement of local residents. In fact the NSW Government was so concerned about the low level of commercial activity they announced on November 17, the week prior to the traffic survey,
the "Out and About" economic stimulus voucher scheme. NSW residents over 18 years-of-age will be eligible to receive four A$25 vouchers through Service NSW. Residents will need to have a Service NSW account to receive their vouchers.[178] Two vouchers are for dining, the other two are to be spent on entertainment.[179] After trials in Sydney and regional areas, full rollout was scheduled for March.
To base future planning on a 2-day, 4-hour study in this situation, when schools were not operating as normal, is misleading and irresponsible. It is not a true representation of the volume of traffic and should be totally rejected as a basis for this Modification.
The permanent population of the area has also increased since the pandemic. Presently there is congestion at the Moona Creek Rd and Naval College Rd roundabout to enter Home Co. Moona Creek Rd is too narrow. Further, the type of traders proposed for the area will attract clients who will be vehicle dependent – childcare centre will see a regular flow of cars transporting children to the centre; the vet will require animal transportation to have access; the wellbeing centre will attract people dependent on transport to the front door. The Modification does not appear to cater for this high level of vehicular movements. The risk of injury to pedestrian, and motor vehicle traffic incidents seems inevitable in the traffic flow information presented.
A new traffic survey is essential to demonstrate the volumes of traffic the area experiences particularly during peak holiday periods, that is, in late December and January. Traffic includes trucks, buses and delivery vans. The existing roads will not be able to process the traffic without chaotic delays and safety issues. Associated with this survey there needs to be further attention given to traffic flow noting the unique needs of the proposed businesses included in the Modification documentation.
When Stage 3 of the development is completed, it will draw a significant extra volume of traffic including large trucks. We note the turning circle in the plan for large trucks. The access to Stage 3 is not adequate and will cause traffic problems on The Wool Rd where children will be walking to attend Vincentia Primary School, Vincentia High School and the Bay and Basin Leisure Centre. It is very close to the roundabout at Naval College Rd and The Wool Rd which is a major intersection with traffic entering from all directions.

2) Safety of pedestrians – this development will increase traffic volume on the site and put the safety of pedestrians at risk. Pedestrians will have no choice but to interact with the vehicles. There have been accidents where pedestrians have been hit by vehicles on the pedestrian crossing at the main entrance of the current building, near the Post Office. Requests to Home Co have been made to divert traffic around the periphery of the carpark to improve pedestrian safety.
The situation will be exacerbated with the development of both Stage 2 and the Specialty Retail area in Stage 3.

3) Effects on the environment – the increased hard surfaces to accommodate buildings and parking will create increases in temperature and water runoff into Moona Moona Creek and Jervis Bay. We note the environmental comments draw heavily on the fact that proposals in the original plan were approved for Stage 1 and therefore continue to be valid. Anecdotal evidence indicates that the downstream impacts of water run offs and wind dispersed littering, in recent months, have created unacceptable impacts to the environment and Jervis Bay National Park. Considering the amount of rainfall we have experienced and recognition of the effects of climate change, a new environmental assessment is essential.
The claim under Fisheries Management that “the development does not involve impacts to Key Fish Habitat, does not involve harm to Act 1994 marine vegetation, dredging, reclamation or obstruction of fish passage”. It must be stressed that this statement ignores the consequences of significant polluted water being discharged by the site into the catchment containing a fish hatchery and whose flows directly affect the Jervis Bay commercial Aquaculture Farming.
Within the Flood study there is no consideration of the increased risk of these flows and their rate of flow on housing developments along Moona Moona Creek, where building DAs have been approved by the Shoalhaven City Council prior to this Modification.
In conclusion I request the modi

Please see attached comments relating to environmental and regulatory matters.

Please see attached submission. We request that the concerns raised are addressed appropriately during the approval process.

Before any major projects are conducted in Vincentia, the area desperately needs more public transport, as without more public transport, Vincentia can barely handle the people it already has/attracts, let alone more

The Huskisson Woollamia Community Voice is part of a larger group of communities living in the 'Bay and Basin' area of Jervis Bay and St Georges Basin. The Bay and Basin Community Led Strategic Plan group will submit comments and concerns on this modification, which we endorse. Please see the comments submitted by them.
Additionally, we are very concerned about the environmental impact of the development on waterways running into Jervis Bay. We understand that there are still works to be done in Stage 1 relating to environmental conditions.


warm regards
Penny Davidson
Secretary, Huskisson Woollamia Community Voice

With the new buildings having a daycare center and extra shops on moona creek rd it will bring extra traffic and the current roundabout would not handy this. Also there would be an extreme increase in noise as there will be more cars and people in these locations. My block is located at 41 windsail ln and this is next to the roundabout which would get an increase on 200% traffic.

I believe this project is going to be great for our community

Please refer to the attached documents.

I am a Vincentia resident who only recently became aware of the timeframe for submissions on the expansion proposed to HomeCo. I had not intended to put in an individual submission because I support the excellent submissions put forward by Vincentia Matters and The Bay and Basin group. However, a Councillor said that it is a numbers game, and if two submissions that represent hundreds of residents are to be counted as “two”, then I would like my views heard.

I attach the submission from the Bay and Basin Strategic Led Plan Reference Group with which I totally agree. I hope that the views expressed in that document will be seriously considered and acted upon.


Sincerely

Hi Christopher,

I have some comments on the Vincentia Coastal Village-Project Modification 9:

• There is a pedestrian and cycle path along The Wool Rd. The plan would be enhanced by providing dedicated pedestrian and cycle access to the centre from that path, and providing additional bike parking. ebikes are becoming a significant form of transport here that should be supported.
• The access to and from The Wool Rd looks problematic as that area is already congested at times. I would hope you wouldn't be able to turn right into or out of that access.
• Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular. The plan would be enhanced by the addition of some fast EV charging stations.

--
Regards,
Ellis

Dear Mr Eldred,

I am a resident and ratepayer of Vincentia and I wish to express concern at the proposed expansions - Stages 2 and 3, of Vincentia Coastal Village Project Modification 9 and Concept Plan Modification 17.

I believe the proposed expansions should not proceed based on the plans made available, for the following reasons:
* They are poorly thought out by having three retail precincts instead of one,
* Traffic congestion will be inevitable on Moona Creek Road that will adversely influence traffic at the Roundabout causing problems to our community;
* Pedestrian safety issues will increase on the site, and the proposed Stage 3 entrance from the Wool Road has potential to be dangerous.
* Runoff from such a large hard surface will pollute Moona Moona Creek flowing into Jervis Bay.

The Dept of Planning appears to have failed to understand the changes that have occurred at the location since the original plans were drawn up in 2009. Our population has increased. As well, we now experience overwhelming numbers of tourists and visitors since the COVID pandemic.

The proposed location of Stage 2, and later Stage 3, will be completely separated from the existing building and by large car parks. Stage 2 (The Wellness Centre) proposed to accommodate retail outlets, vet, medical centre, 200 place child care centre, will be separated from the current retail building by the recently installed staff car park. This does not facilitate support of other businesses, fails to address the needs of shoppers, and will increase pedestrian interaction with all vehicles. Bearing in mind a medical centre, and 200 place child care, will be frequented by the elderly, disabled, and very young children, this plan has not been seriously considered.

A Traffic Survey has to be done again. To submit a report stating the expansion development won’t change traffic in the area is debatable. The survey was conducted in November 2020 - when people movement was severely restricted because of the Pandemic. At a minimum, a new Traffic Survey must be done to show a genuine representation of the traffic during peak periods such as December-January, Easter, long weekends, etc .
A new traffic survey should also be done with respect to Stage 3. The proposed new entrance from Wool Road is in close proximity to two large public schools - Primary and High schools, in addition to the Bay & Basin Leisure Centre. School aged children throng in this area. To have vehicles of all descriptions, especially large trucks, use this area, is dangerous!



A new Environmental study would be mandatory for the site, and needs to include the surrounding area due to runoff. We now have aquatic businesses that rely on clean water, and the runoff from such a large expanse of hard surface has the potential to be devastating.



Submitted for your consideration.



Sincerely,

Postal submission received 11/11/22