And the expansion of inappropriate urban development on a Northern NSW high risk coastal flood plain continues apace in 2023.....

Northern Regional Planning Panel (NRPP) now has Development Application SUB2023/0001 before it as PPSNTH-195.

A 284 lot subdivision on Lot 47 DP 751395 at 52-54 Miles Street, Yamba NSW, with a capital investment value of $48,458,741.

Composed of 277 low density residential lots, 1 medium density residential development lot, 1 commercial development lot, 1 low density development lot, 3 drainage reserve lots and 1 open space reserve lot on the est. 21.25ha lot.

This DA was lodged with Clarence Valley Council on 18 January and referred to NRPP on 30 January 2023.

It appears to be the second stage of the urban development of Lots 46 & 47 by Kahuna No 1 Pty Ltd, a property development corporation. Stage 1 is already in the process of landfilling.

Stage 1 and proposed Stage 2 now before the NRPP stretch from Carrs Drive in the west to Golding Street in the east, with Miles Street forming the northern boundary and a common property line forming the southern boundary.

These two lots are 42.5ha of the remaining natural flood storage area in Yamba which has a potential to flood to a height range of 1.6-2.0m in years when the Lower Clarence River floods and, the filling of the lots to a height above 1 in 100 flood levels will inevitably force storm & river waters onto adjoining and adjacent residential land causing it to flow into residential streets further afield.

There is one certainty with this development application - with the exception of the two local government representatives on the Northern Regional Planning Panel - the issues of climate change, changing flood behaviours and an inadequate, badly thought though emergency evacuation plan for Yamba township, will receive only lipservice consideration. Because the Perrottet Coalition Government in Sydney still insists on urban development across high risk floodplains and the Clarence Valley's retiring Nationals state member and his replacement candidate will inevitably continue playing the game of mates rather than genuinely representing the town's population.