West Culburra Mixed Use Subdivision

This land belongs our people from Jerringa South Coast.

I object to the West Culburra Concept Proposal SSD3846 for a number of reasons.
- The development is not in sympathy with the Culburra town and surrounding environment, in particular the Crookhaven catchment, its coastal forest and wetlands, the Crookhaven River and Curleys Bay. This is an environmentallt sensitive area and needs to be treated with care.
-The clearing of native forest for the development will be detrimental to birds and wildlife. This is even more serious after the fires of 2019/20 that destroyed habitat for these species.
-The development proposal does not respect the Aboriginal heritage of the area.
-The development proposal should be instigating the best design features that will be appropriate in the future. Is there any plan for re-newable energy, passive solar design.
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We bought our forever home in Culburra Beach back in 2009 having identified the area as the perfect seaside village to raise our family and live our lives enjoying the beautiful, peaceful environment that defines and separates our beautiful village from the others. In my first few weeks here I attended the progress association meeting who is supposed to represent the views of the community. At that very first meeting and the following two which I attended I was startled to see that any community member with a view different to the loudest in the room was mocked, treated with hostility and made to feel wholly unwelcome and unsafe. I was horrified by this - and have grave concerns that this is the reason that the council and others feel the community support this completely unsuitable development on the edge of our town. The only community consultation for this most recent round was advertised to be for supporters only. I am sure that the previous applications were ambit and very concerned that this would only be the beginning of awful worrigee like homes that would continue to grow, would ruin the ecological, cultural and environmental beauty of the precious little bush land that remains safe following the devastation of the bushfires that are still so fresh in our memory. Previous applications have been denied and nothing has changed the devastating impact that such a development would have, but here we are again pleading for you to stop this happening . Please listen to our local Aboriginal people who are tired of having to keep fighting to save their country. Please listen to our extraordinary environmental protector Frances Bray who continues to bravely stand up in spite of the horrific treatment she has endured from other community members with self-interest and or ignorance of the ecological significance that we try to protect. Please deny this for those who are growing up here and need us to stand up and be heard. Please deny this so we remain a valuable tourist spot that is truly idyllic and would be ruined by the proposed over development on such sensitive land on our majestic waterways. Please deny this for all the beautiful people in this town who share my views and regularly collaborate to create wonderful events like the festival and christams celebrations. Please let us be - deny this application for the good of those who love Culburra Beach and want to protect it. If you’d like to discuss this further I would be happy to hear from you. Please don’t let us down. You may hear that the town will die without it - this is absolutely not true - there are many thriving businesses in Culburra - just ask Food and More - the businesses who are struggling may need some self reflection as it’s not a lack of people that is responsible for their challenges - please don’t be fooled by that rhetoric. Thank you. Proud member of Culburra Beach community, active volunteer, community worker, mother, optimist and grateful to have the opportunity to be heard.

My submission is a simple one and comes from someone whose family has owned a property in Culburra Beach his whole life. I visit Culburra Beach every long weekend and school holiday with my family, as my parents and grandparents have done for as long as I, and they, can remember.

I am personally against the proposal, however also recognise that that all progress in a small beachside town, now less than 2 hours from Sydney is not possible.

It is my opinion that such a settlement so close to the shores of the Crookhaven River would have permanent impact on the natural environment which is central to why people choose Culburra Beach and surrounds to live, and why tourists visit such a place.

If the proposal is to go ahead I believe serious consideration should be given to the below points:
- Culburra Beach has a significant oversupply of empty retail space. If this development is to go ahead no retail premises should be required within the new development. It would be no further for residents of the new development to travel into town, as it is for other residents in Culburra Beach to make the same journey. Maintaining one central retail precinct is key to ensuring the ongoing prosperity of the current businesses in the area. The significant retail space proposed within the development will simply shift retail and leave the existing businesses to suffer and the town center to rot into disrepair. A town this size, even with the new development, does not require two retail precincts.
- The roads around Culburra Beach are not fit for purpose now and the Shoalhaven Council does not have the funds to maintain them. It is no exaggeration that road crews drive through town filling pot hole after pot hole with a shovel of road mix before returning a number of weeks later to do the same. The roads resemble a cobblestone road. Should any new development be approved, the main road, starting at Pyree and covering all of Prince Edward Avenue and Penguin Head Road, need a full resurface. It could be argued this is outside of this development proposal, however given there is no beach front in the proposed development it can only be assumed that residents and tourists alike will be using the beaches within the main town meaning this populous will be frequenting all roads mentioned above.
- Beach parking is already an issue. given the potential influx of population this will require addressing, as will support for life saving services to monitor the increased numbers. The tourists we see in Culburra Beach are changing and water competence, informally, appears to be decreasing.

I wish the panel luck in their decision making. This is not a simple scenario however as someone with, what i believe to be, a relatively independent and pragmatic viewpoint, this small town is not the next Huskisson and there will be significant economic as well as environmental impacts from the proposal in its current form.

I have lived in the small beautiful town of culburra beach since my birth, for 25 years. It has always been a lovely place to live, but a place that I always felt never had it’s full potential. I support the culburra development to assist current business and residents to have a township that flourishes, provides all services and creates a community that I believed was lacking growing up. I do not believe that this development will destroy the unique nature of the town but rather assist in ensuring the town is truly its best. I hope you see a young surfing man’s opinion as an important opinion, as I hope to raise my children in Culburra Beach, if these services are provided and the development goes ahead to allow for housing.

My Name is Adrian Christie and have lived in Culburra Beach for 27 years since the age of 5.
I have seen many changes over the almost 3 decade and yet so little has actually changed. By this of course I mean the town has not changed in a physical way. It has been severely neglected by the Shoalhaven City Council with other surround towns seemingly getting rate payer funds spent there. Culburra Beach in an infrastructure sense is run down. The road, the sewerage, stormwater drainage, mobile phone service, home internet and phone lines are all sub standard. For a town with a population doubling each and every weekend from tourism the current infrastructure doesn’t even suffice – how will it support a larger permanent population?

Over 30 years I’ve witnessed the local CBD decline. This could be for several reasons, changing consumer purchasing choices etc, however things like the HOME Hardware, fruit shop, many restaurants/cafes, and Busted surf shop have either completely shut down, down sized or are only open during peak tourism seasons. Why would Culburra need more retail in the proposed development when the current Culburra cbd has struggling business and empty shops. A gentrification on behalf of the Shoalhaven council is what Culburra needs before more is added.

As a former practising planner in tier one firms and now Environmental Scientist I have many concerns about the documents supplied as part of the DA. In general, the documents supplied are below standard and don’t address many critical areas. Areas of concern include but not limited to, water quality testing/analysis, ecological studies, community consultation (indigenous/Local Residence).

I am not against development in and around Culburra, in fact I welcome change and development in all areas, however this proposed development in this location is not suitable. Its rushed, its poorly compiled and its mis matched. If the Halloran Trust wish to develop it needs to be something suited to the location. Furthermore the Shoalhaven City Council first and foremost need to improve the existing Culburra. If existing Culburra can’t be properly maintained how do they expect to maintain more. This DA being put through leaves the council with a lot of questions to answer.

Regards
Adrian Christie
Environmental Scientist/Local Resident

Re West Culburra Mixed use subdivision.

I have visited Culburra and have seen the site of the proposed subdivision development. I am opposed to the development and think there may be more appropriate sites in the region.

I understand the development involves clearing more than 43 hectares of old growth native bushland west of Culburra and adjacent to the Crookhaven River. This is a valuable piece of remnant native vegetation forms valuable habitat for several vulnerable or endangered species of animals and plants. This region provides valuable habitat for the Crookhaven River estuary and should be maintained.

This area contains indigenous artifacts of significant cultural value to the local Jerrinja Aboriginal Community and i am told that no consultation with the local aboriginal community has occurred. these areas must be protected.

Dear Planning Department,
I would like to oppose the West Culburra Mixed Use Subdivision because I feel it is an Excessive Development for our small town.
I am particularly concerned with the access roads in and out of Culburra as they are not adequate for the population growth that would result from this Development. These roads are already in a state of disrepair and there is only one way out should there be any kind of emergency such as the Bush Fires last year.
The roads also have speed limits of 100klm and 80klm per hour with overtaking allowed. I believe there possibly could be a drastic increase in road accidents with over crowding and frustrated drivers taking risks.
Not only would Culburra Beach residents be affected by this but also surrounding communities such as Greenwell Point, Calalla Beach and Bay, Terara, Pyree, Numbaa and Worrigee.
I also am concerned about the environmental impact of this development on Curly's Bay.
Kind regards,
[REDACTED]

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