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Property developer Tower Holdings P/L land in West Byron before clearing began - situated less than 2km from the beach. IMAGE: Google Earth
The Echo, 9 September 2022:
Land clearing has begun on one of the West Byron land parcels on Ewingsdale Road, owned by Tower Holdings.
Two Development Applications (DAs) were hard fought by the community for decades, and their approvals will see a new suburb constructed on ecologically significant land.
Environmental concerns, traffic and a lack of affordable housing were raised as issues throughout the process.
One DA is owned by a ‘locals’ consortium, who won considerable concessions behind closed doors at a court mediation with Council’s consultant lawyers.
The clearing now underway for the Tower Holdings DA – called Harvest Estate project – is headed by wealthy Sydney-based developer, Terry Agnew.
Immediate neighbour, Tom Vidal, alerted The Echo of the clearing, and says he shares a 1km boundary with Agnew’s DA.
Vidal is also secretary of the Belongil Catchment Drainage Board, and says he spoke on matters regarding drainage and flooding for the DAs.
Comms broke down
‘I personally arranged a meeting between Terry Agnew, his CEO, and some councillors at my place, after communication broke down between the parties in November 2019’.
‘Consequently, a much better outcome was achieved than the first proposal; unfortunately our “local” mates were not so understanding’.
As for the ‘locals’ DA, he said, ‘The secret court negotiations were woeful’.
He added, ‘To ask residents to make submissions to the court without notifying us that most points of contention (traffic, storm water, drainage, flooding, social impacts etc.etc) were conceded already was quite unbelievable’……
Read the full article here.
BACKGROUND
The Echo, 24 September 2020:
….A lot has happened in the West Byron saga since Villa World’s Development Application (DA) was rejected by the Northern Regional Planning Panel on April 8, 2019.
First, the landowner, Tower Holdings, had to repay Villa World Ltd their $10 million deposit for an interest in the development, as it was dependent upon a successful DA.
Then Tower Holdings purchased the subsidiary Villa World Byron Pty Ltd so that they could appeal the rejection in the Land and Environment Court.
In August, there was a court conciliation conference on the original DA, to which seven community members were allowed to submit short written statements.
Now, Villa World Byron have submitted a revised DA to the court, which is on public exhibition until Wednesday September 30.
There will be no extensions, and the court will determine the DA. ….. |
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