The 1566.6m2 angled block is at the corner of Ocean Drive and Beach Street, just above the Wauchope Bonny Hills Surf Life Saving Club.

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It adjoins a public reserve and has a commanding view of the northern coastline.

Under a Development Application (DA) approved by Port Macquarie-Hastings Council (PMHC) in December 2022, the existing two-storey brick residence will be demolished and in its place will be what objectors have dubbed a “compound” and “the Taj Mahal”.

“I do not call it a home, as all homes surrounding it are nothing like it in size, design and style,” said president of the Bonny Hills Progress Association (BHPA) Paul Poleweski, when addressing Council’s Development Assessment Panel (DAP) on 20 November.

The modified plans, lodged by applicant “Collins W Collins” on behalf of owners J. P. and E. J. Stevens, show the fully-fenced three-level property will span the combined length of five existing homes on the upper side of Ocean Drive.

It includes a pool, pool bar, boat shed, gym, multi-car garage with turntable, library, cellar, sports bar, cinema, multiple decks and living areas, a regular kitchen, a chef’s kitchen, an internal lift, and six bedrooms, each with its own ensuite.

However, the modifications before the DAP related only to the street setbacks, cut and fill, landscaping, the resizing of some rooms, the lowering of the roofline and the construction of stairs leading to Ocean Drive and the newly-completed Bonny Hills pathway.

Among the fourteen public submissions received by Council were residents seeking a reversal of the original approval.

There were also concerns about stormwater run-off and that rooftop solar panels will block the view (the DAP responded that these were exempt from planning approvals).

One submission read that “the proposed general increase to fencing surrounding the site will create a compound feel and create an unsightly appearance when viewed from adjoining public areas and existing adjoining residential development.”

The changes originally included construction of 2.4m high acoustic fencing along Ocean Drive, which particularly angered residents and was dropped.

The BHPA was one of five objectors to address the DAP last month, as it did in 2022, on the basis that the property does not meet the “distinct community character” agreed to in the 2019 Bonny Hills Community Plan.

“Residents came to us to seek our support and confirmation that we agreed with their concerns,” Mr Poleweski told News Of The Area.

“They thought we would have more clout because we are well-respected.”

However, the modifications were all approved “on merit” subject to the completion and maintenance of suitable landscaping.

The work will be undertaken in three stages starting with the dwelling and site work, followed by the pool and surrounds, and then the boat shed and gym.

NOTA spoke to two councillors who said they were unaware of the development.

A spokesperson for the DAP responded that Councillors are notified of all applications before the panel.

“The DAP ultimately formed the view that the modified development satisfactorily responded to the planning controls and merit-based issues relevant to the site,” they said.

“A copy of the DAP assessment report, meeting minutes and modified approval conditions are available on Council’s website.” (Search for “Modification to DA 2021.964.2 at 976 Ocean Drive, Bonny Hills.)

By Sue STEPHENSON