FOLLOWING the engagement with Councillors regarding Council’s financial sustainability, a review of surplus lands was undertaken.

Zoe Pattison, Acting Group Manager Corporation Services, said surplus lands and underutilised assets can be a maintenance liability for Council.

“Development and or sale of surplus sites can reduce the maintenance liability to Council as well as add to housing stock or employment generating lands in the local government area while providing additional non-rate revenue to enhance Council’s long term financial sustainability,” Ms Pattison said.

The sites which have been authorised for reclassification and rezoning following the recent Council meeting include:
● Lot 721 DP 1033896, 101 Kindlebark Drive, Medowie
● Lot 35 and 38 DP 259487, 87A Adelaide Street, Raymond Terrace and 87B Adelaide Street, Raymond Terrace (rezoning only)
● Lot 1063 DP 826758, 20 Benjamin Lee Drive, Raymond Terrace
● Lot 3082 DP 786401, 124 Benjamin Lee Drive, Raymond Terrace
● Lot 68 DP 248229, 4 Payton Street, Raymond Terrace
● Lot 4 DP 787398, 27 Campbell Avenue, Anna Bay
● Lot 18 DP 238628, A-1 Mount Hall Road, Raymond Terrace
● Lot 4 DP 807214, 1B Jessica Close, Raymond Terrace
● Lot 7 DP 716614, 13 Lyndel Close, Soldiers Point
● Lot 17 DP805074, 154 Rocky Point Road, Fingal Bay

Councillor Giacomo Arnott supported the reclassification or rezoning of these parcels of land.

“I decided early on that I wouldn’t support any land sale that would cause a loss of any valuable or important land and green space that our community uses, finds or finds important, and I still maintain that position.

“Through the process that we’ve gone through, we’ve come up with land that almost certainly isn’t going to hurt anybody in our community and is generally surplus land that doesn’t serve a purpose.

“A lot of this land will be able to be transformed into homes, which will assist with, not very significantly, but every house counts, in easing the supply shortage in Port Stephens,” Cr Arnott said.

By Tara CAMPBELL