INDEPENDENT REVIEW PANEL SOUTH COAST SENSITIVE URBAN LANDS REVIEW _________________________________________________________________________ REPORT TO THE HONOURABLE FRANK SARTOR MP MINISTER FOR PLANNING OCTOBER 2006 SOUTH COAST INDEPENDENT REVIEW PANEL The Hon Frank Sartor MP Minister for Planning Level 34, Governor Macquarie Tower 1 Farrer Place SYDNEY NSW 2000 Dear Minister, RE: SOUTH COAST INDEPENDENT REVIEW PANEL Following the release of the Draft South Coast Regional Strategy, you appointed me to chair a Panel to investigate the suitability for development of some sixteen sites in the region. We received some 188 submissions and held public hearings over six days in the towns of Nowra, Batemans Bay and Bega as well as in Sydney. Fifty one people appeared at the public hearings. Having given due regard to all the submissions, we present our report, with recommendations, on each of the sites. It is important to read the recommendations along with the body of the report, especially the planning assessment and the environmental assessment sections of each site’s evaluation. We have also suggested some planning issues for further discussion that arose during our investigations and deliberations. My colleagues on the Panel, Mr Vince Berkhout and Dr David Robertson have brought considerable experience and expertise to the task, and we are unanimous in our recommendations. Of the total area already zoned for potential development (about 2200ha) we recommended less than 30% to be developed. Of all the land investigated (about 5900ha) we recommended that almost 30% be for environmental conservation. We were very ably assisted in all the preparations for our meetings and public hearings and preparation of the report by Mr Paul Freeman. The Councils of Shoalhaven City, Eurobodalla and Bega Valley went out of their way to assist the Panel. They made the task of fact gathering significantly easier, and we are grateful to them. I trust that this report assists you in finalising the South Coast Regional Strategy. Yours truly, Andrew Refshauge Panel Chair LEVEL 13, 301 GEORGE STREET SYDNEY, NSW 2000 GPO BOX 3415, SYDNEY, NSW 2001 TELEPHONE (02) 9299 2904 FAX (02) 9262 1242 [email protected] CONTENTS Letter to Minister EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 1. INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Terms of Reference 4 1.3 Site Review Method 5 1.4 Consultation 6 1.5 Other related emerging Issues 7 1.6 Structure of Panel Report 7 1.7 Panel Members 8 1.8 Acknowledgements 8 2. DRAFT SOUTH COAST STRATEGY 9 2.1 Summary of Findings 9 2.2 Strategy Objectives and Principles 12 2.3 South Coast Region Sustainability Criteria 13 3. KEY ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION SOURCES 14 4. SHOALHAVEN LGA 15 4.1 Background 15 4.2 Shoalhaven Council comments on sensitive sites 15 4.3 Overview of Environmental Characteristics, Shoalhaven LGA 17 4.4 Strategic Planning Context 18 5. CULBURRA 24 5.1 Background 24 5.2 Environmental Characteristics 27 5.3 Environmental Issues and Assessment 29 5.4 Planning Issues and Assessment 30 5.5 Recommendations 32 6. COMBERTON GRANGE 34 6.1 Background 34 6.2 Environmental Characteristics 37 6.3 Environmental Issues and Assessment 38 6.4 Planning Issues and Assessment 39 6.5 Recommendations 41 7. BADGEE LAGOON 43 7.1 Background 43 SOUTH COAST SENSITIVE URBAN LANDS REVIEW i CONTENTS 7.2 Environmental Characteristics 46 7.3 Environmental Issues and Assessment 47 7.4 Planning Issues and Assessment 48 7.5 Recommendations 48 8. BERRARA/ CUDMIRRAH 50 8.1 Background 50 8.2 Environmental Characteristics 52 8.3 Environmental Issues and Assessment 53 8.4 Planning Issues and Assessment 54 8.5 Recommendations 55 9. NORTH BENDALONG / BENDALONG 57 9.1 Background 57 9.2 Environmental Characteristics 59 9.3 Environmental Issues and Assessment 60 9.4 Planning Issues and Assessment 60 9.5 Recommendations 62 10. BERINGER LAKE / MANYANA 64 10.1 Background 64 10.2 Environmental Characteristics 66 10.3 Environmental Issues and Assessment 67 10.4 Planning Issues and Assessment 67 10.5 Recommendations 69 11. EUROBODALLA SITES 70 11.1 Background 70 11.2 Overview of Environmental Characteristics, Eurobodalla LGA 71 11.3 Strategic Planning Context 72 12. LONGBEACH 76 12.1 Background 76 12.2 Environmental Characteristics 78 12.3 Environmental Issues and Assessment 79 12.4 Planning Issues and Assessment 80 12.5 Recommendations 81 13. MALUA BAY 82 13.1 Background 82 13.2 Environmental Characteristics 84 SOUTH COAST SENSITIVE URBAN LANDS REVIEW ii CONTENTS 13.3 Environmental Issues and Assessment 85 13.4 Planning Issues and Assessment 86 13.5 Recommendations 86 14. ROSEDALE 87 14.1 Background 87 14.2 Environmental Characteristics 90 14.3 Environmental Issues and Assessment 91 14.4 Planning Issues and Assessment 91 14.5 Recommendations 92 15. MORUYA HEADS 94 15.1 Background 94 15.2 Environmental Characteristics 96 15.3 Environmental Issues and Assessment 97 15.4 Planning Issues and Assessment 98 15.5 Recommendations 99 16. NAROOMA SOUTH 100 16.1 Background 100 16.2 Environmental Characteristics 102 16.3 Environmental Issues and Assessment 104 16.4 Planning Issues and assessment 104 16.5 Recommendations 105 17. BEGA VALLEY SITES 106 17.1 Background 106 17.2 Strategic Planning Context 108 17.3 Overview of Environmental Characteristics, Bega Valley LGA 110 18. WALLAGA LAKE 112 18.1 Background 112 18.2 Environmental Characteristics 115 18.3 Environmental Issues and Assessment 116 18.4 Planning Issues and Assessment 117 18.5 Recommendations 117 19. BEGA SOUTH AND WEST 119 19.1 Background 119 19.2 Environmental Characteristics 121 19.3 Environmental Issues and Assessment 122 SOUTH COAST SENSITIVE URBAN LANDS REVIEW iii CONTENTS 19.4 Planning Issues and Assessment 122 19.5 Recommendations 122 20. WOLUMLA 124 20.1 Background 124 20.2 Environmental Characteristics 126 20.3 Environmental Issues and Assessment 127 20.4 Planning Issues and Assessment 127 20.5 Recommendations 128 21. TATHRA RIVER 130 21.1 Background 130 21.2 Environmental Characteristics 135 21.3 Environmental Issues and Assessment 136 21.4 Planning Issues and Assessment 138 21.5 Recommendations 139 22. LAKE MERIMBULA 140 22.1 Background 140 22.2 Environmental Characteristics 142 22.3 Environmental Issues and Assessment 143 22.4 Planning Issues and Assessment 143 22.5 Recommendations 144 23. OTHER RELEVANT PLANNING & ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES 145 23.1 Accurately measuring population growth 145 23.2 Planning for a complex land market 145 23.3 Development program 146 23.4 Land and housing monitor 147 23.5 Sewerage services and urban expansion 147 23.6 Method of charging for sewerage contributions for land development 147 23.7 Planning provisions to encourage medium density housing in and around major regional centres and major towns 147 23.8 Suitability of existing land zonings 148 23.9 Urban design 148 23.10 Transfer of development rights/ development potential 149 SOUTH COAST SENSITIVE URBAN LANDS REVIEW iv CONTENTS FIGURES Figure 1 Shoalhaven Sites 2 Figure 2 Eurobodalla Sites 3 Figure 3 Bega Valley Sites 4 Figure 4 Jervis Bay Settlement Strategy area 19 Figure 5 Location of Culburra relative to Nowra 24 Figure 6 Aerial close-up of Culburra 25 Figure 7 Zoning plan for Culburra 26 Figure 8 Panel recommendations for development in Culburra 33 Figure 9 Location of Comberton Grange relative to Nowra 34 Figure 10 Aerial photo of Comberton Grange 35 Figure 11 Zoning plan for Comberton Grange 36 Figure 12 Panel’s recommendations for development in Comberton Grange 42 Figure 13 Location of Badgee Lagoon 43 Figure 14 Aerial of Badgee Lagoon site 44 Figure 15 Zoning plan for Badgee Lagoon 45 Figure 16 Panel’s recommendations for development at Badgee Lagoon 49 Figure 17 Locational context of Berrara/ Cudmirrah 50 Figure 18 Aerial close-up of the Berrara/ Cudmirrah site 51 Figure 19 Zoning plan for Berrara/ Cudmirrah 52 Figure 20 Panel’s recommendations for development in Berrara/ Cudmirrah 56 Figure 21 North Bendalong & Bendalong sites relative to Ulladulla 57 Figure 22 Aerial close-up of North Bendalong and Bendalong sites 58 Figure 23 Zoning plan for North Bendalong and Bendalong 59 Figure 24 Panel’s recommendations for the North Bendalong and Bendalong sites 63 Figure 25 Beringer Lake and Manyana location relative to Ulladulla 64 Figure 26 Aerial close-up of Beringer Lake and Manyana sites 65 SOUTH COAST SENSITIVE URBAN LANDS REVIEW v CONTENTS Figure 27 Zoning plan for Beringer Lake and Manyana 66 Figure 28 Panel’s recommendations Beringer Lake/ Manyana 69 Figure 29 Location of Longbeach showing proximity to Batemans Bay 76 Figure 30 Aerial close-up of Longbeach site 77 Figure 31 Zoning plan for Longbeach 77 Figure 32 Malua Bay relationship to Batemans Bay 82 Figure 33 Aerial close-up of Malua Bay 83 Figure 34 Zoning plan for Malua Bay 84 Figure 35 Rosedale site showing proximity to Batemans Bay and Malua Bay 87 Figure 36 Aerial close-up of Rosedale 88 Figure 37 Zoning plan for the Rosedale site 88 Figure 38 Panel’s recommendations for Rosedale 93 Figure 39 Location of Moruya Heads land relative to Moruya 94 Figure 40 Aerial close-up of Moruya Heads sites 95 Figure 41 Zoning plan for Moruya Heads 96 Figure 42 Location of Narooma South land shown on the edge of Narooma township 100 Figure 43 Aerial close-up of Narooma South site 101 Figure 44 Zoning plan for Narooma South 102 Figure 45 Location of Wallaga Lake site relative to Bermagui 112 Figure 46 Aerial close-up of Wallaga Lake site 113 Figure 47 Zoning plan for the Wallaga Lake site 114 Figure 48 Panel’s recommendations for the Wallaga Lake site 118 Figure 49 Location of sites