The rejection of a $25 million development at Byron Bay’s
Ewingsdale Rd for a 282-lot subdivision was met with thunderous applause.
Villa World’s plan for a controversial development was
unanimously rejected by members of the Northern Joint Regional Planning Panel
at a meeting on Monday.
It was the second DA for the West Byron site to be
refused by the panel, as a $40 million development put forward by West Byron
Landowners Group was rejected earlier this year.
Numerous speakers pleaded with the NRPP on many grounds,
including that they “did not want a Gold Coast” in Byron Bay.
The proposal was refused on 10 grounds including: adverse
impacts to surrounding properties; a significant visual impact and undesirable
impact on the street scape inconsistent with the northern entrance to Byron
Bay; the development was likely to have had adverse impacts on threatened
species and ecosystems; no adequate discharge of storm water and was not considered
in the public’s interest.
Echo
NetDaily, 9
April 2019:
No social or
environmental license
Newly reelected MP
Tamara Smith said this another great win for our community and people power.
‘The thousands of community submissions and actions highlighting the
fundamental flaws in developing this land have successfully culminated in the
NRPP rejecting both subdivision plans – against the odds,’ she said.
‘With the rejection of
both the West Byron subdivision applications by the NRPP the developers should
immediately approach the State government and request that they buy the land
and restore it to the Cumbebin Swamp Reserve.
Ms Smith said there is
no social or environmental license for a subdivision of the swamp land known as
West Byron. ‘So why waste more money on legal battles when the community is
utterly opposed.
‘Restitution is on offer
for the landowners and they should jump at the chance to be made whole and walk
away. They need only look to Condon Hill at Lennox to see decades of iconic
land ownership that has never passed muster to see development on it. Get out
now is my advice.
‘I strongly advise Byron
Shire Council to shelve any idea of a reduced sub-division and instead
respectfully ask them to help me actually deliver what the community wants – No
West Byron Mega-development.”
Justifiable opposition
Former Byron Shire Mayor
Jan Barham also spoke to the panel. She said she wanted to acknowledge the
amazing efforts of the community in their justifiable opposition to the
inappropriate proposals for the West Byron lands.
‘This development fails
on every point,’ she said. ‘From the destruction of biodiversity and the threat
to the local koala population and wallum froglet, the filling of a flood prone
area, likely negative impact on the Belongil Creek and the Cape Byron Marine
Park and further traffic chaos on Ewingsdale Road, that will not be alleviated
by the bypass.
‘I’m confident these
points have been raised in sufficient detail in the submissions to inform a
refusal.’
Ms Barham summed up the
general feeling on the day. ‘The refusal of Villa World by the Planning Panel
alongside the previous West Byron refusal, justifies years of commitment by our
community to protect and preserve our special place, with evidence, passion and
genuine concern for the future,’ she said after the decision was announced.
‘It makes me feel so
proud to be a member of an activist community who knows the value of standing
up for what we believe in and thankfully, this time, the independence of the
process delivered the right outcome.
‘Well done to everyone
who took the time to be involved, no doubt there will be more challenges to
come but the refusals vindicates us and our role as protectors.’
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