Councillors will shortly decide whether to endorse the Draft for a Public Exhibition period, prior to a vote on whether to adopt it and proceed to the next stage of Planning.

Dalmeny Matters has collated community feedback and requested further information from ESC.

We have been contacted by many residents who are concerned about:

• Mummaga Lake ecosystem and water quality

• Loss of privacy and character of the village

• Construction noise and increased traffic

• Lack of local services

• Threatened species and other wildlife

Over 100 hectares of precious native bushland

40 + Hectares-Lot 22 DP1280016 (formerly public land)

60 + Hectares-Lot 54 DP735157 (the largest Lot stretching from the Industrial estate to Duesbury’s Rd)

5 + Hectares-Lot 3 DP1050594 (the smallest Lot, now fenced)

Each owner will try to maximise development of their own property, which has compromised attempts to create a sensible layout or maintain wildlife corridors and waterways

Yellow-bellied Gliders - Fresh evidence of feeding marks in trees have been found and their unique calls can be heard at night.

Glossy Black Cockatoos - Glossy’s are regularly spotted feeding on the casuarina/ sheoaks.

Grey-headed Flying-fox - these threatened nocturnal pollinators are seasonal visitors when the gum trees are in blossom.

Gang-gang Cockatoos - This species has seen almost a 70% decline and are now endangered.

Loss of habitat is these species greatest threat.

Mummaga Lake has areas of Endangered Coastal Salt Marsh and is a nesting site for threatened shore birds like Pied Oyster Catchers.

Housing shortages in Eurobodalla are related to a lack of:

• Affordable housing

• Rentals

• Social Housing

• Smaller homes for people wishing to downsize, single people, couples and young people

The Dalmeny development proposal has no affordable housing provision. The zoning is for 3 and 4 bedroom homes on 550sqm blocks. New builds would need to meet expensive bushfire ratings.

Narooma, Kianga and Dalmeny currently has a supply of this style of housing for sale, with many properties having been on the market for weeks.

Shelter NSW is the peak body working in housing policy and advocacy. We asked for their stance on developments like the one we are facing and that are springing up along the coast.
In a recent submission to the Regional Housing Taskforce Shelter NSW stated that “releasing mass land for rezoning to foster green field development and urban sprawl in regional towns and cities should, in our view, be the last resort in addressing any purported land supply issues”

“Affordable housing developments are best practice where they are within walking distance of land within Zone B2 Local Centre. The Dalmeny land is further than 400 m walking distance from the local shopping centre, and Dalmeny itself is a small coastal village that does not provide a basic level of service adequate to meet the needs of those on low to medium incomes. From a strategic perspective we would need to consider the appropriateness of encouraging affordable housing in such a location with its limited access to services. Affordable housing in the context of Eurobodalla is better located in the larger towns especially Moruya and Batemans Bay where there is greater access to services.” Eurobodalla Shire Council - Source ESC - Dalmeny Land Release

ESC adopted a Management Program for Mummaga Lake in 2022, but neglected to include the proposed Dalmeny Development. The Plan was adopted regardless without revisting the study to include this information.

Since this no further assessment has been made regarding the potential effect of development in the catchment zone.

The Management Program did however make clear that Mummaga Lake:

- Is not presently well understood in regards to water quality and the impacts from runoff

- That development in estuarine catchments is linked to the “destruction of important ecosystems” (revised risk assessment, pg 14, appendix D)

And that

-“it is rare that development can have a positive or neutral impact when a previously undisturbed part of the catchment is developed, unless a system of offsets is somehow adopted." (revised risk assessment, pg 8, appendix D)

The proposed development would see Dalmeny’s population increase significantly, with a potential 1000 new residents.

How will Council ensure that an evacuation scenario is not made worse for current residents as a result of the development?

Will there be an improvement to evacuation centers in Narooma or Moruya?

Many residents are concerned about how a new development will increase traffic on their street with a potential 800 additional cars on local roads.

The proposed development is not within an easy walking distance to the beach and shops, so residents can expect a big increase to local traffic and parking issues at the beach and shops.

The 2019-2020 bushfires devastated our shire. 80% of the Eurobodalla Shire landmass was effected by fire. This land/habitat was unburnt.

There has been no studies since the fires to determined areas that require additional protection due to habitat and food source loss in other areas of the shire. Residents of Dalmeny noticed the increase in wildlife particularly Glossy Black Cockatoos after the fires.

The new Draft Master Plan shows 5 access roads including Ruth Pl, Elanora St, Lonsdale Pde and Eucalyptus Dr. A new road off Tatiara St is also included.

Locals are concerned about traffic implications impacting these currently quiet streets as well as those adjoining them.

If the development is built in stages it is unclear whether all access roads will be connected from the outset.

Local roads are not designed for heavy construction vehicles.

A Soil and Salinity consultant has told Dalmeny Matters that the soil type in the area proposed for development is not a stable base for road construction.

The land has been zoned for residential development for over 30 years.

Zoning status ‘transitions’ from year to year, rather than being reassessed to determine if the zoning is still appropriate.

NSW Planning, and the community must trust that Council will consider the appropriateness of zoning as new information becomes available, or new studies are undertaken, and make applications for rezoning when needed.

NSW Planning confirmed Council may still apply for a ‘spot-rezoning’ of the land.

414,420sqm native heavily forested bushland

Widely used for recreation and wellbeing by the community

Steep and undulating

Water courses throughout

Part of the catchment area for Mummuga Lake

Bush fire prone area

Zoned R2 Low Density Residential

Council engaged Sydney commercial real estate company CBRE to sell Lot 22 in 2021. This decision by Councillors was made in the last Council meeting prior to Local Government elections (the elections were later postponed due to Covid).

The land has now been sold to Andrew Scarano of Heppa Constructions. This company was formed in 2019 and has no experience in large scale subdivisions or coastal subdivisions.

Minimum lot size requirement of 550sqm

The property was sold by way of Expression of Interest that closed on Wednesday, 15 September 2021

CBRE Real Estate Listing - Lot 2 DP 11513

219 pages of submissions were sent to Councillors against the sale of Lot 22 which makes up 40 hectares of the proposed development area.

Councillor McGinlay was the only Councillor that took the time to review the valuation of the land

Councillors that voted to sell the land

• Councillor Maureen Nathan

• Councillor Robert Pollock

• Councillor Jack Tait

• Councillor Linsday Brown

• Councillor Phil Constable

• Councillor James Thompson

Councillor Anthony Mayne put forward a rescission motion.

The motion required 3 votes.

Councillor Pat McGinlay supported the motion.

The Mayor Liz Innes, despite showing her support for protecting the land in Dalmeny at the July 13 Council meeting did not support the rescission motion.

“Housing threatens pristine bush” was the headline in the print version of the Sun Herald.

The sale and proposed development of this land and other small coastal communities features heavily in the article. NSW Planning and Public Spaces Minister Rob Stokes told the SHM “The Eurobodalla land sale is one project that should not go ahead”, “At a time when this government is giving out millions for councils to invest in public spaces, it seems tone deaf for a council to be selling pristine coastal bushland.”