West Culburra Mixed Use Subdivision

To the Independent Planning Commission (IPC)
I wish to again voice my support to the West Culburra Development (WCD) in its now amended concept. I believe that the IPC’s decision to reject the original proposal was deplorable.
I support the proposal for the following reasons:
• It will provide much needed new housing stock to the Shoalhaven area and more specifically the Culburra area.
• It will allow new people to join the Culburra community and patronise its sporting and social clubs and businesses with minimal footprint on the natural area.
• It will provide an impetus for modernisation and change to the Culburra area in general.
• It will provide a modest increase in population, assisting overall viability of local services.
I hope that the IPC will see the value of this small development and the sensitive way it has approached the local environment.

Before stating my objections I wish to state that I have owned a property at 55 Prince Edward Avenue, Culburra Beach since 1998 and have spent a large amount of my time there since retirement in 2001. I have also owned a property at 35 Otway Street, Orient Point since 2001 which is leased to permanent tenants.
My principal objection to the proposal in its current form is that it is a massive development of 244 lots permitting 293 dwellings to be located in the Crookhaven River Catchment which would require 47 hectares of virtually pristine forest to be cleared. While run-off from development and occupation would pollute the sensitive fisheries and oyster farming industries of the Crookhaven River, clear-felling so much forest would remove vital habitat for our local wildlife which has lost so much of its range in the recent bushfires. This area forms part of a habitat corridor running from the Crookhaven wetlands to the Shoalhaven escarpment and helps maintain threatened species. Furthermore this proposal threatens the continued existence of Aboriginal middens along the foreshore of the river, these represent Regionally Significant Aboriginal heritage and are of great importance to the local people of the Jerringa community.
Development on this scale is inappropriate to be located near an existing coastal village, it could be characterized as uncontained, unplanned suburban sprawl. In addition, my understanding is that the Department of Planning's criteria for the Crookhaven River catchment is for "limited development". Which this proposal certainly is not.
I am extremely sceptical that the proposed water pollution control methods would prevent run-off of damaging chemicals used in construction and occupation of the land then released into surface and ground water from entering the River. I understand that despite the test of demonstrating " a neutral or beneficial effect", NorBE, no NorBE assessment is included in the application.
There are many other pertinent considerations involved in this proposal. Culburra Beach has one road for access and egress, the recent bushfire emergency made the danger of this situation clear. While residents of Culburra Beach proper could access beaches or the river for safety, residents of the proposed development, potentially 1000 plus, would be herded into an area adjacent to the sewerage works, or possibly attempt to flee to Nowra or Culburra Beach. Should the residents of Culburra Beach and Orient Point choose or need to flee to Nowra the pandemonium on the road can only be imagined. The Bushfire Assessment of the plan has not addressed the matter of the danger to Culburra Beach residents if an evacuation is called for as it was in the last bushfire emergency.
The Department of Planning, Industry and Development have stated only "limited development" is appropriate but the plan proposes high and medium density development north of Culburra Road, this to include housing and commercial- residential accommodation. While no architectural drawings or descriptions are included it is thought that the height could be up to 11 metres and that there could a large number of such buildings in a ribbon development along the road. This is totally out of character with the existing architectural profile of Culburra Beach. Furthermore the integrated housing proposed of two storey units for senior is highly inappropriate.
Culburra Beach suffers from a lack of infrastructure and it is difficult to see how this proposal will lead to an improvement in our roads, which are neglected to the point of dangerous, drainage, which leads to regular local flooding, sewerage system, which blocks and overflows or beach parking which is already inadequate a lot of the year.
The increasingly rare commodity of a beautiful natural environment only a couple of hours from Sydney is what gives Culburra Beach its major source of income, tourism. There is further potential for its expansion with more tourism based on the natural environment, including Aboriginal cultural heritage tourism, birdwatching at Lake Wollumboola, river and beaches, surfing, fishing and boating. Increasing the urban development would only militate against this and harm the local economy.
The suggestion that businesses in Culburra Beach would receive a significant boost from the development is patently false. All residents of Culburra West would require a car and would no doubt do the majority of their business in Nowra where most of them would be likely to need to be regularly for work, school, major shops and services, TAFE, university, rail transport etc.
While this proposal is slightly more modest than the original, I understand it is a concept plan only, which could be added to and expanded at some future time. It is an improved and slightly more realistic version of the first model, its best feature being that it does not directly impact on the pristine and highly significant Lake Wollumboola. However it remains extremely unpopular for all the above reasons and more with the endorsement of objections by locals demonstrated by the support given to the petition against the development. Local people have not been consulted, there is no consensus in favor of this plan. let alone a vast majority of people in support as claimed by some of the promoters and potential beneficiaries of the proposal.
For the above reasons, the concept plan in its current form is unacceptable. A far more modest plan, sensitively designed to suit local conditions and context is required. One that seeks to retain what is valued by locals of our beautiful environment and allow a realistic number of additional residents to the area to enjoy and appreciate it as well.

2020 bush fires decimated 70% of the Shoalhaven Region destroying flora and flora. Culburra Beach did not burn in last years bush fires, and in my life time Culburra Beach has not had a major fire event.

Culburra Beach surrounding bushland have provided not only a sanctuary for wildlife, & insects, but a seedbank for native plants. I believe that we should keep these little havens of virgin bushland to assist our bushland to regenerate in times of disasters like the bush fires of 2020.

Culburra Beach is a village surrounded by water and 20 kilometres from Nowra. Public transport is limited to a bus service morning, noon and afternoon. Employment opportunities are extremely limited. If you place bulk medium density housing and a separate integrated living block housing many people in close quarters into the Culburra Beach village with no work opportunities and extremely limited public transpor,t wouldn't this development create a high unemployment population that would create a "ghetto"? Giving the local community a change of character from a peaceful village to a low income, depressed village.

Living in Culburra Beach, summer time results in families coming together. Over the years it has traditionally been extended families staying with their relatives in their homes. This results in the village swelling in population by about 100%, with many more cars in the village over this period.

If the new development goes ahead their would be an increase in population not only from the new residents but you would expect another 100% influx as families come together and a lot more cars in the village, traffic issues and parking, roads and services would be overwhelming for the village.

The West Culburra Mixed Use Subdivision would place an unrealistic demand on the RFS as Culburra Beach does not have a NSW fire service. The village relies on the volunteer RFS service to respond to house fires. For the RFS to be able to put out a house fire I understand that the RFS volunteers require a higher certification. Does the RFS Culburra Beach have the man power, to provide this volunteer fire service? in a medium density development of this size?

Culburra Beach is isolated as there is only one road into the village which goes through bushland. The village last year experience the road being closed for a day due to a car accident. This resulted in the school bus having to turn around and drop children back to their bus stops, people could not go to work. My family could not pass for a hospital admission where we had waited 12 months for the surgery date. Transport trucks delivering food and goods were turned away.

In conclusion I am personally against the proposal - The environment will suffer, the village is a sleepy tranquil place with no manned police station, no employment opportunities, little public transport on offer. The development would create a strain on roads, services and change the dynamics of the village.

This development will improve, beautify and ultimately increase the number of houses/homes in this welcoming seaside town. It has the necessary application to supply much needed homes/houses to this area for our future generations, and is part of the planned growth outcome for Culburra Beach. The land area in question had been zoned for Residential Development since the early 1990's, and it will be so wonderful to finally have this development commence the building work intended.
The Development will support this lacklustre economy of the town and provide more employment for the local area. It will also prove to be environmentally sustainable as each house will have solar panels and rainwater tanks installed prior to occupation.
The whole development plan is neat and well laid out. It has great recreational facilities and appropiate intergration with the existing township. The roads in Culburra town are in poor condition however this development plans curb and guttering and to improve access into the town proper.
The network of footpaths, tracks and cycleways allows for an active community and easy access to the current retail shops. We currently do not have a designated cycleway or decent footpaths even on our mail arterial roads and most of us have to walk on the road, even mothers pushing prams.
This development will provide a pleasant outdoor recreational space to be enjoyed by the new residents and hopefully this will flow on to the older part of the town.

I object to this development going ahead for many reasons. We are a beachside village who relies on tourism,our only industry. At Christmas and other peak tourist seasons we are at capacity. The beaches are busy, the car parks at the beaches are full, our internet speed is nil, water pressure is non existent, there are problems with sewage etc. we do not need any more tourists coming in. There is no guarantee that any of these houses are going to be sold to to people who are going to live here permanently. There is no guarantee that this development will bring down the prices of houses. Like the rest of NSW the price of houses has gone up.

The biggest problem is the amount of trees and bush land that will be destroyed to build this housing estate ( that we do not need). There is also the problem of water run off into the estuary behind. The oyster farmers are incredibly worried about pollution ruining there businesses.

We are a one lane road in to town and one lane road out. This is a problem if there were ever to be a fire here. Talking of roads our locals roads are terrible. I don’t believe there is one road here that does not have any potholes in them. Increased traffic here will be horrible. We can not cope with the traffic we have on these pothole filled roads.

We do not need any more housing here. Culburra has survived all of these years without any huge ugly housing estates being built so we do not need a new one now. Perhaps some development of the retail precinct is a better idea.

Thank you for your time

Regards

Carolyn Henshaw

Please see attached.

Please see attached.

Please see attached.

Please see attached.

Please see attached.

Please see attached.

Please see attached.

Please see attached.

Please see attached.

Please see attached.

I object to the proposed development on a number of grounds.
As the Halloran Trust holds significant other property along the shore of the Crookhaven River that prior submissions have sought to develop, the approval of this development will open the door to loss of native forest and foreshore habitat all along the southern bank of the Crookhaven River.
Of the 384 currently proposed homesites, the developer has sought to concentrate specific housing types into separate segregated areas. In Culburra, medium density type developments are scattered throughout the community, not concentrated side by side in a line along the entry way to the village as is proposed. This will negatively impact the village nature and character. Likewise ‘integrated housing’ is en masse and concentrating a mass of people into a ring fenced area rather than integrating into the community.
Culburra Beach retail area is already greater than its needs and will not benefit from the provision of additional mixed use and retail space.
Approval of this development would place additional strain on current policing and firefighting resource. A volunteer fire force being the RFS is the only form of village fire protection, and for the most part one police officer provides a part time police presence.
The proposal surrounds the village sewerage processing facility, allowing no space for any expansion of facilities as processes change. Instead of the works being at the edge of the village and behind the current industrial area, it will instead be in the middle of a developed area.
The proposed development is to be built on primarily uncleared, original indigenous bush land and river frontage which provides shelter to many native plants, birds, fish and animals.
Destruction of this habitat greatly impacts the surrounding area and the character of Culburra Beach.

I do not support the project, the significant impacts this proposed development will have on the Jerrinja people, the first and sovereign people of this land, will be catastrophic. The traditional hunting grounds, the sites of cultural significance, the fishing grounds and the relationship they have with the land, through their lore, if allowed to be impacted by the development, will all contribute to the continuation of the historic genocide of their culture. It disgusts me, as a fellow human being and citizen of this land, that no proper consultation process has occurred with the people who represent the oldest living culture on this planet regarding the impacts that will result from this proposal.In addition to my lack of support, Culburra Beach and Orient Point have, at best, only basic infrastructure and would not support an extended amount of dwellings in the area, the current state of Prince Edward Drive is the worst road I have ever driven on, I am fortunate to own a 4X4, so my suspension doesn't suffer the impacts like other small vehicles do. When we have heavy rains, the road floods in many locations, and adding more traffic without totally rebuilding the road would be horrendous for the local community, especially considering the lack of council maintenance regarding the road surface. This area needs to use the existing housing stock it has available, including a vast number of holiday rentals, to mitigate the shortage of private rental properties. Adding more properties in the numbers proposed by this development will not rectify the current downturn in commercial usage and sustainability of those businesses. My wife and I currently operate a business in Culburra Beach and we are astutely aware of the needs of this community, and the needs are: a better and more visually attractive business district that uses the current space available and beautifies it in line with the 21st century, a significant upgrade to the availability of car spaces within the town centre and more of a focus on the fact that Culburra Beach is located on Jerrinja land and has been for at least 60,000 years. If the Shoalhaven City Council and NSW state Government were at all interested in reconciliation, it would work together with the local Elders and Indigenous community to implement a significant centre of culture within the Culburra Beach business district that showcases the history of the people who have cared for this country since time began. I have seen and heard nothing regarding council's or the Government's ability and willingness to showcase any relationship with the Jerrinja people in the place where they were taken away from 233 years ago and replaced, without consideration of the bond they share with the geography and sovereign soil of their ancestors, to another place in the area for the purpose of the colonialists and their agenda to attain wealth through the dispossession of land. The laws that council and the Government follow is written by them for the purpose of justifying the genocide, dispossession of lands and many other inhumane acts carried out in the name of progress and development. Until the people representing the Trust, who are proposing this development, and the NSW state Government planning authority consider the impacts this development will have on the Jerrinja people, the environment, animals and plant species, and disassociate themselves and make amends for the horrific acts of the past, I will never support such a development.

The idea of removing natural native old age forest from a sensitive coastal environment near mangroves and the Crookhaven River would be a breach of legislation made to protect the environment under coastal management guidelines and legislation. This is apparent in statements made under the legislation. Effective management begins with squashing such proposals.
1/ Removal of native old age forests is a breach of law 2/ Unnecessary and unmitigated harm to wildlife, loss of their habitats, ineffective management of pollution controls and levels due to lack of resources and basic care plans (that come with land development and post development from overpopulated housing and pollution levels). 3/ This places responsibility onto local council to manage the area effectively with which resources, funding and budgeting would not account for management of the environment adequately to properly protect it under legislation and council planning priorities. 4/ Developer groups should show respect for the law, legislation, the courts time and the rights of residents, people in general (the public) and local council in regard to what we would like to see happen for the environment 5/ There is evidence of Aboriginal Heritage sites dotted throughout Culburra Beach North and West areas. There have also been aboriginal tools found recently through extensive surveys being conducted near wetlands in the Lake Wollumboola catchment at Culburra Beach. This points to evidence based theory that there will be substantial aboriginal heritage sites and tools buried along the coastal land of the Wollumboola and Crookhaven River catchments, disturbance or removal of these sites or tools will be also a breach of legislation and heritage regulations. If anything, the management of this land area should immediately be protected under Heritage Listings legislation, Coastal Land and Sensitive Coastal Land ACTs to protect the heritage rights of aboriginals and The Jerrinja community. If Surveys are done, they should be executed delicately and with great care, acknowledged, digitally scanned, recorded and not disturbed or moved from the site.
6/ Decimation of vast hectares of forest especially native old age forest black butt forest and other species of old age trees is not inline with current global treaties to reduce carbon emissions. Removing vast amounts clearing or burning forests will contribute to high levels of carbon emissions into the atmosphere increasing global warming effects and further diminishing parts of ecosystems that protect human life. There are other numerous current land housing development projects available in the Shoalhaven Region that DON'T remove forests and native brush and grasses and will support peoples needs and new housing opportunities.
7/ Retaining wider coastal land as buffer zones to protect the atmosphere, reduce carbon emissions, contribute to the management of coastal lands and clean air, water ways and major aquatic industries and small businesses like oyster farms in the Crookhaven River, Reducing use of steel, cements, tars and bitumen the mainstay use in the construction industry that utilises the very industries that contribute to carbon emissions. 8/ Preserving and enhancing coastal land as Open Green Spaces (especially tree canopies) will contribute to better mental health. [The Halloran Trust, (Research)), University of Sydney - drawing on their recent research data and discussions in open public forums, Open Green Spaces are beneficial for better mental health especially for children who live among open green spaces. It allows us to relax and unwind, especially spaces with tree canopies, and in a time of current health alerts, social distancing and in isolation 9/The United Nations have 'Decade of Action' programmes [2020 – 2030] that includes programmes to support the Restoration of Ecosystems across the globe. This supports global constitutions and treaties that recognise the importance of protecting biodiverse ecosystems and restoring ecosystems for communities and in contributing to healthier systems and people who rely on them. Australia’s current government support treaties to reduce overall carbon emissions.10/ Forest trees and under brush are both very important natural landscape flora materials that support the land and soils, catch water and distribute water evenly and widely through their roots systems and keeps the surrounding area and surfaces cool, keeps root systems in tact. Underbrush shrubs and grasses are so very important to retain soil and water tables and keep the land and soil from erosion. This helps to prevent flooding over land surfaces such as road floods or flash flooding.
11/ the ‘Character’ of the west culburra proposed idea is out of touch in keeping with the current character and coastal relaxed lifestyle in planning priorities of local Shoalhaven council’s LSPS sections 10, 14 and 15. It does not conform to it. The design is in breach of what would be expected for smaller or isolated developments within the current town planning. The housing structure is designed for larger scaled city designs and not suitable for this area of sensitive coastal land, or the character and principles that are contained in keeping with minor infrastructure for the existing town and a ‘relaxed coastal lifestyle’. This proposal is for overly large-scaled housing upon land which will be over development and ugly urban tower of housing instead of picturesque trees and forests and glimpses of water views through trees as people near and enter into Culburra. 12/ The land as it currently mirrors the opposite side of Culburra Road and Jervis Bay National Park forest – Large high rise builds would diminish the overall connection to forests; Forests that importantly contribute to wildlife corridors for wild parrots and wrens and for marsupials who dare to cross the current road using it by night in their usual habitats for foraging for food sources and grazing upon grassy areas, drinking from fresh water sources. These include wombats, wallabies, eastern grey kangaroos, sugar gliders, long nosed bandicoots, ring tail possums, brushtail possums, other unrecorded or unobserved marsupial habitation. Removal of native marsupials will result in shock and most of them are unlikely to recover removal from their natural habitats. Powerful owls and BooBook Owls are inhabitant on the coastal land and Jervis Bay National park forests and Culburra Beach coastal reserves. 13/ No Development in the Crookhaven River Catchment of west culburra would prove more beneficial for the existing people population at Culburra Beach. The development idea would not create jobs as so avidly put with promotional buzz words through developer action; It would remove work opportunity for local residents as most developer companies already have their people employed and in place to work on these projects so it does not contribute to local economic growth for the town. The larger percentage of work is outside the local town of Culburra Beach. New proposed populations growth would find need for those people to travel longer distances for work opportunities Wollongong and Sydney or to the nearest CBD hub being Nowra.
14/ It would place a greater strain upon proposed residents; a greater strain on already overstretched budget plans and services suitable for the current infrastructure and housing at Culburra Beach; Greater competitiveness for employment opportunities in the local town and creating higher unemployment rates for Culburra Beach under the present liberal government. Not a good statistic for a census or the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). 15/ Over 600 dwellings would equal car use likely to increase with 2.5 cars per household - doubling or tripling car use within the local and immediate vicinity; causing a change to air quality and pollution levels, adding to traffic congestion to main thoroughfares into and out of Culburra Beach and creating more toxic fumes. Trucks and heavy machine use would place great strain upon roads surfaces (meaning an increase for road repairs and maintenance) and years of noise, mess and traffic congestion. This would increase chance of harm to our Australian protected native species/endangered species within the Shoalhaven region & NSW. Glossy Black Cockatoos (listed as vulnerable in NSW) & Yellow tailed Black Cockatoos inhabit the forests either side of Culburra Road in Jervis bay national parks and coastal Crookhaven River catchment land. Loss of forest would diminish their habitats greatly and lose connection for wildlife passage placing extra strain upon breeding, nesting, healthy eggs & chicks & diminish current attainable accessible food sources. Wild birds, Over 600 dwellings would equal car use likely to increase with 2.5 cars per household - doubling or tripling car numbers=changes to air quality and pollution levels. Developers should be made aware of this fact when communicating with town planners and government planning bodies; This would be the Governments responsibility to uphold and retain strategies in better health,mental health especially during current health alerts, greater protection for sensitive coastal lands management under legislative ACTS and greater protection for native wildlife under commonwealth and state laws.Unmitigated harm by developer action to native wildlife would be direct breach of legislation under the Biodiversity and Conservation ACT 2016. Removal of native wildlife also is in breach as removal leads to shock and non-recovery17/The location is near protected Mangroves,River catchments & Lake Wollumboola catchment– Sensitive Coastal Land area. It is up to governing bodies to make reasonable efforts to place a kibosh on the proposal.An unsuitable project in reducing carbon emissions and keeping the air pollution low &suitable for human life.An unstable project- it reduces the buffer zones & forest

I strongly oppose to the West Culburra Concept Proposal SSD3846 at Culburra Beach for the following reason

The amount of wildlife that will be impacted by this development we lost so many animals in the fires they do not need to loose their homes and the bush and surrounding areas we would loose.
The road leading into town would not cope with the amount of extra traffic if we needed to evacuate because of fire.
People holiday here for the village atmosphere not for a sprawling suburbs which is what it will become. We cannot handle the extra people over the holiday periods so the extra people would put a lot of strain on the services here.
The waterways are a major consideration as they play an important part to both people and animals. The water would be affected by stormwater runoff, pesticides and the oyster leases which we are famous for would be greatly impacted by this.
The housing is not in the keeping of the area. Community consultation has been minimal with not enough general meetings on the subject.
They only people to benefit by this are the Trust not the community. I don’t believe this is in our best interest the town is growing without this development.
The infrastructure will not handle this intended growth and will greatly impact on our way of life.
Thanking you

The development would increase the population of the area which is much needed and provide an economic boost to businesses in the area.