COFFS Harbour City Council is continuing with its intention to house future Employment Lands in the North Boambee Valley West and South Bonville areas, despite the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment’s refusal to approve these areas as employment lands.

Employment lands relates to industrial or business zoned land.

Council at its meeting on 8 October resolved to adopt the Coffs Harbour Local Growth Management Strategy-Chapter 8 Employment Lands (subject to retaining the North Boambee Valley West Investigation Area within Chapter 8) and Chapter 9 Resources, and to seek endorsement for Chapter 8 Employment Lands from the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE).

The NSW DPIE provided their conditional approval on 27 October, however the proposed North Boambee Valley West Investigation Area and South Bonville Investigation Area were not approved by the DPIE.

The North Boambee West Investigation Area was not approved due to the range and significance of the environmental constraints found in the area, and the potential South Bonville employment investigation area post 2040 was not approved as it was deemed inconsistent with the North Coast Regional Plan 2036.

The Employment Lands Chapter of the Coffs Harbour Local Growth Management Strategy provides a strategic framework to facilitate and accommodate future employment growth with the Coffs Harbour Local Government Area.

Cr John Arkan moved a motion at Council’s meeting on 26 November for Council to relook at the North Boambee Valley West area for the placement of possible industrial lands, and produce an amended Chapter addressing concerns raised by DPIE relating to environmental constraints for the North Boambee Valley West Investigation Area-Employment Lands.

“With all of that growth in the city we also need to be catering for industrial lands, it’s a good spot to put it there, there are people that are wanting it there, we originally in Council put it up as a place to do it,” Cr Arkan said.

“If there are some environmental concerns let’s look at those again, but to cross it out completely might not be the right way to go.”

Cr Sally Townley, however, said many investigations had proved the area to be unsuitable for employment lands.

“I think the message has come through fairly loud and clear from a number of public servants and planners, experts in their field who have identified a whole range of constraints, they’re not making it up, those things are valid,” Cr Townley said.

“It’s an extremely flood prone area, there’s significant concern that development in that area could potentially cause increased flooding downstream, there’s significant vegetation corridors there, koala habitat.

“I think that the message has really come through loud and clear, and really underpinned by data and analysis.”

Cr Paul Amos moved an amendment at the meeting for Council to send a request to the DPIE seeking a detailed justification of the North Boambee West Investigation Area and Bonville Investigation Area being eliminated from Chapter 8 Employment Lands.

“I think this would be a starting point to find out exactly why these areas have been eliminated from Employment Lands, before we go to the time consuming efforts and expense of producing another chapter,” Cr Amos said.

At Council’s meeting on 26 November Council resolved to send a request to the DPIE seeking a detailed justification of North Boambee Valley West Investigation Area and Bonville Investigation Area being eliminated from the Employment Lands.

Cr Michael Adendorff, Cr Paul Amos, Cr John Arkan, Cr George Cecato, Cr Keith Rhoades and Cr Tegan Swan voted for the request to be sent, and Cr Denise Knight and Cr Sally Townley voted against.

 

By Emma DARBIN