State of Play Yamba NSW, April 2024: community meetings on the the subject of flooding and overdevelopment in the town & environs

Only road into Yamba in the Clarence Valley cut by flood waters at Shallow Channel, 3 March 2022 flooding. IMAGE: Clarence Valley Council

Yamba Road during February-March 2022 flooding. IMAGE: The Daily Telegraph

Shores Drive, Yamba, March 2022. IMAGE: YambaCAN

Yamba suffered unprecedented flooding earlier this year, particularly in Golding, Cook and Endeavour streets (lower left-hand corner of pic). Meanwhile, amid the arguments put by Yamba residents that this flooding was caused by poor planning for development on the West Yamba floodplain, the West Yamba Landowners Consortium’s WYURA Flood Impact Assessment notes that “Golding Street … is already shown to be largely filled … such, that the majority of the site is above the 1 in 100 annual exceedance probability flood level. Photo: Contributed [Clarence Valley Independent, 24 October 2022]

Clarence Valley Independent, 24 April 2024:

Greens MLC Sue Higginson says Grevillea Waters Yamba residents are in the “fight of their lives” against an “intolerable” development proposal for 16 townhouses on adjacent flood prone land which was claimed may put the lives of the 200 plus residents at risk.

Ms Higginson, who is the chairperson of a current NSW parliamentary current inquiry into the planning system and impacts of climate change on the environment and communities visited the Hometown Australia owned village on Sunday to hear the residents’ concerns about the development proposal for 30 Golding Street, Yamba.

She said she was extremely impressed by how organised the Grevillea Waters community were and how they have “forensically analysed” the development proposal to make comprehensive submissions to council addressing their concerns.

“They have applied their lived experience, that local knowledge to the DA that is before them, and I believe their concerns are very clear, very real, and very accurate…they’re in the fight of their lives,” she said.

Touring the site on the village bus gave Ms Higginson first-hand perspective of the impact of the 2022 flood, viewing photos of the development site 90 cm under water.

“You can’t say that land that was impacted like that in 2022, with that volume of water, is not going to impact this site, and the problem is that the development application documents say there will be no adverse flooding impacts,” she said.

“I don’t think that conclusion can be accepted, and I don’t think that it can be supported.”

Ms Higginson, former senior lawyer at the Environmental Defenders Office, said she advised residents to continue on the active and proactive engagement they are having with the development proposal, and they are appealing to every possible person who may be able to influence the outcome of this development proposal.

“Really, the best thing that can happen here is that the council refuses this development,” she said.

“It won’t be the best thing for the proponent, and I accept that, but the reality is this is not the kind of development that should go on that site…placing as many townhouses as possible on that site to maximise the return is not in the best interests of this local community.”

Ms Higginson said the planning system was at a junction where we need to respond to the real-life threats to the community and our environment, now that our climate is changing.

“The reality here is that we’re talking about 200 or more members of our community that are among the most vulnerable, and we are considering whether we should pose an intolerable risk on their lives, their wellbeing, their homes, and the physical environment in which they live and that’s a real concern,” she said.

Ms Higginson said she will be immediately writing to NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully, and Clarence Valley Council, and informing her parliamentary inquiry committee of the plight of Grevillea Waters residents.

Grevillea Waters Residents Committee Focus Group GWRCFG spokesperson David Robinson thanked Ms Higginson for her helpful and informative discussion with the group.

He said Ms Higginson explained the new planning methodologies being developed to help Councils decide on whether or not to proceed with marginal flood plain developments – particularly when there was a high risk to life and property, but said councils were under pressure to address the state housing shortage.

“She was aware of a November 2023 Canberra Times article – in which Planning Minister Paul Scully had claimed to be considering scaling back high-risk flood plain developments in NSW (including in the Clarence Valley) – especially where there would be a risk to life in the case of a mass evacuation,” Mr Robinson said.

“Ms Higginson believes that Grevillea Waters Village deserved special consideration, given the age and medical condition of the many residents in the Village.”

Clarence Valley Independent, 24 April 2024:

It was standing room only at Yamba Golf and Country Club on Sunday as more than 250 Clarence Valley residents proactively engaged in a flood awareness and resilience meeting, leaving with vital knowledge to help them survive and conquer the next stormwater and Clarence River flood event.

The Yamba Community Action Network Yamba CAN Inc. and Valley Watch who hosted the meeting invited politicians, council’s GM, councillors, the SES, NSW Police, Fire and Rescue NSW, and NSW Ambulance to attend.

Clarence Valley Deputy Mayor, Jeff Smith, Cr Greg Clancy, and potential council candidate, Cristie Yaeger attended.

Yamba CAN Chair Col Shephard opened the meeting, defining awareness and resilience before advising attendees to study two important clauses in the Clarence Valley Council Local Environmental Plan 2011, 521 relating to flood planning, and 522 about Special Flood Considerations.

Valley Watch Treasurer Graeme Granleese then spoke about the State Disaster Mitigation Plan, encouraging locals to have input to help create a Disaster Adaptation Plan for the area.

Keynote speaker, Greens MLC and chair of a current NSW parliamentary inquiry into the planning system and impacts of climate change on the environment and communities, Sue Higginson said the NSW planning system which was developed in the 1970s is archaic and “broken” and the inquiry aims to help reform the system.

She said after the 2022 floods both the Prime Minister and Premier both said we need to stop any further developments on floodplains.

“The system facilitates these developments

… it’s a planning system of the past,” she said.

“It often goes against the wishes of local people, with local knowledge.”

Ms Higginson commended Yamba CAN Inc. and Valley Watch for their proactive actions and advocacy in educating and informing the community about floods.

“You are the key to your future in developing your preparedness for the next flood event,” she said.

After an informative and graphic slideshow of images and videos of the 2022 flood, Yamba CAN Inc. executive member and long-term Yamba resident, Craigh McNeill, who has spent hundreds of hours researching councils new flood model, presented valuable information on flood awareness, how Yamba floods, Australian Height Datum AHD and how it is calculated.

According to council’s new flood model, Mr McNeill discovered in a 1 in 100-year flood most houses with a 2.5 metre floor level AHD between the Angourie Road roundabout to Oyster Channel, Yamba, would flood.

Mr McNeill said Lake Wooloweyah significantly impacts Yamba flood behaviour, in the 2022 flood the lake continued to fill for 28 hours after the flood peak at Yamba, and Oyster Channel holds back floodwater, exacerbating and extending effects on Yamba.

SES Community Capability Officer, Tracey Doherty clarified that Yamba Bowling Club isn’t the designated flood refuge for Yamba, and flood refuges are determined by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice.

Mrs Doherty encouraged everyone to develop an Emergency Plan, have an Emergency Kit prepared, and to download and understand the Bureau of Meteorology, Hazards Near Me and Emergency Plus smartphone apps so they are prepared for the next event.

In the event of a flood, Mrs Doherty encouraged everyone to watch the Clarence Valley SES Facebook page for alerts, to listen to ABC radio 94.5 the official emergency broadcaster, and she advised people to have a location to evacuate to rather than relying on a designated flood refuge......

Ms Higginson said the event was a “remarkable” meeting, she was overwhelmed by how many people attended and the clear message that locals delivered was “we have got to stop development on the Yamba floodplain”.

“People want to be prepared for floods and they don’t feel they have the information they need to be prepared, so it was fantastic that the SES were here to start that conversation,” she said.

“What was clear, is that everyone in this room feels as though their council are letting them down at the moment.”......

Multinational and interstate developers are devouring the Northern Rivers region one hectare at a time

 

Alan Edward Larkin
IMAGE: Linkedin

With 30 plus years experience in construction and property development, former managing director and principal of Aspect Property Group in Brisbane and current managing director of Digital Infratech Pty Ltd, Alan Edward Larkin of Coolangatta Qld, joins the conga line of multinational or interstate developers on the make in north-east New South Wales.

Mr. Larkin appears to be part of an alleged consortium involving IRBS1 Pty Ltd formerly trading as Aspect Property Group, Digital Infratech Pty Ltd solely owned by IRBS Holdings Pty Ltd & with Larkin as only listed director and, ASX-listed specialist funds manager Centuria Capital Group (currently $21 billion in assets under management with a $1.7 billion healthcare platform).

According to the Federal MP for Richmond Justine Elliot in February 2022: At the time of the land purchase [in 2019], it was widely publicly reported that Aspect had donated numerous times to the Liberal National Party in Queensland. Searches reveal that Aspect had donated more than $28,000 to the LNP in Queensland, including the infamous LNP Forward Brisbane Leadership Fund.

One has to wonder if the consortium was expecting its largesse in Queensland to translate into favourable treatment by a then Coalition state government in New South Wales.

Echo, 23 November 2023:

The rezoning of the State Significant Farmland (SSF) to build the Tweed Valley Hospital on the Cudgen Plateau near Kingscliff split the community and ultimately came with an ‘iron clad’ promise from local Nationals MP Geoff Provest that no more SSF would be rezoned.

However, the land next to the hospital site was bought by Allan Larkin, Director of Digital Infratech [Managing Director at Digital Infratech Pty Ltd, Brisbane, Queensland], just days before the announcement that the SSF would be rezoned for the Tweed Valley Hospital site. Since then Mr Larkin has proposed a mixed-use site called Cudgen Connection. Initially, they proposed that the site to be part of the stage 2 hospital development but this was rejected. Now they are imminently submitting a development application (DA) that provides private hospital and medical suites, essential worker housing, koala research centre, an education and community housing precinct and more at the 5.7 hectare site.

An artists impression of the new Cudgen Connection

Tweed Councillors write to the government

At the recent Tweed Shire Council (TSC) meeting (16 November, 2023) Councillors voted to write to Premier of NSW, Chris Minns, NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully, NSW Leader of The Opposition, Mark Speakman, NSW Shadow Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Scott Farlow MLC, and Member for Tweed, Geoff Provest to request advice that ‘they will uphold the integrity of the Cudgen Plateau and support the existing retention of State Significant Farmland’.....

Full article can be read at:

https://www.echo.net.au/2023/11/call-to-protect-state-significant-farmland-next-to-tweed-valley-hospital-as-promised/

The rape of north-east New South Wales continues

 

Linnaeus Estate, Byron Bay
IMAGE: http://linnaeus.com.au/

Echo, 7 November 2022:

Mayor, I agree, let’s set the record straight. Here’s a fact: the community was denied the right to know about the Linnaeus Estate rezoning to Mixed Use Development. The 25 August 2016 Council agenda reveals that there was no report to Council to endorse the change from Education, as required, and doesn’t include any information about the Linnaeus Estate zone change.

In September 2015 Council resolved to change the zone label from Education Establishment to Private Education Facility. It had been zoned restrictively for Education since 1990. So why was it exhibited with the broad term, ‘Multi Use Development’ in 2016? It’s not a fact that Parliamentary Counsel recommended the change, and if so, why wasn’t that reported? In April 2020 a further report admitted a ‘fundamental error’ that the zone allows Community Title (CT).

All in, a massive increase in development potential without the community knowing.

This represents a lack of procedural fairness, a denial of the community’s right to know about the changes for this significant land.

Recently, a further poor process for the Ecotourism development application (DA).

Who benefits? Not the community and not the environment.

Who’s to blame? Perhaps a council that fails to question the processes we rely on. Byron community Deserves Better.

Jan Barham, Broken Head, Former Byron Shire mayor

BACKGROUND

ECHO, 10 May 2021:

Community concern over the current development application (DA: 10.2021.170.1) for Linnaeus Estate in Broken Head has led to detailed analysis of the DA.

A key point of contention is the impact of the proposed development on the Nationally Critically Endangered Ecological Community (EEC), Littoral Rainforest at the site.

According to the Broken Head Protection Committee (BHPC), the DA seeks to clear an area of Littoral Rainforest as identified in the Biodiversity Assessment.

They point out that the 2019 Federal Government Recovery Plan under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC) for the EEC has not been referenced in the application.

As a result the BHPC are calling for ‘the proposal to be referred to the Federal Government owing to the likely impact on the EEC due to the proposed change of use for the site and the associated intensification of impacts.’

However, the clearing of littoral rainforest has been disputed by one of the Linnaeus Estate representatives Brandon Saul, who told The Echo, ‘The Biodiversity Assessment you refer to clearly indicates the project has been carefully planned so as to avoid all mapped rainforest on the site. Put simply, no SEPP (State Environment Planning Policy) mapped rainforest will be cleared.

Mr Saul acknowledges that there will be an area of 0.44ha cleared, but stated that ‘The calculated compensation planting for this impact is 1,670 trees, but we will be planting a lot more.’

Around eighty objectors to the project rallied on the beach in front of the proposed site Friday morning….

ECHO, 27 February 2020:

A public meeting to discuss a ‘low-scale wellbeing retreat’ development proposal, at a gated beachside estate, situated between Byron Bay and Lennox Head will be held at the Broken Head Community Hall on Sunday March 1, from 4pm.

Council staff have told Echonetdaily the Linnaeus Estate DA will go before the Northern Regional Planning Panel.

While a DA is yet to be lodged, it has stirred neighbours into action.

According to the owners, ‘The 111.2 hectare property is covered by a combination of special activities – mixed use, environmental, private education and some rural zonings. While the zoning allows for tourism, the property is currently only approved for private education.

‘The application will seek to continue with current uses, as well as establish a low-scale eco-retreat, incorporating the existing facilities – pool, communal buildings and tennis court. The pool area would be upgraded with wellness facility (spa), toilets and showers and an evacuation building, back of house (office space, staff amenities and parking), bin and storage area and garden shed would be constructed.

‘The application proposes that 11 approved, but unbuilt, units with a combined floor space of 2,388m2 not be erected. That instead, 33 new two-person cabins/treehouses with a combined floor space of 1,862m2 be constructed for eco-retreat guests’.

Former Greens mayor and NSW MLC, Jan Barham, has flagged her concerns, which range from climate change impacts, foreseeable risk of future erosion and liability of Council.

Barham said, ‘It is unbelievable, with the coastal problems Council has been dealing with for decades, that in 2020, Council would create new lots in a coastal risk area, especially when they have declared a climate emergency.

‘There is also the likelihood of a repeat of historical events such as cyclones and east coast lows that could ravage this section of coast, and with Council supporting the new zonings in the risk area, there are serious consequences.

‘Disturbingly the proposal has identified as per the staff report: “15 lots in the coastal erosion zone,” but states that this will be dealt with by conditions of consent for any of the structures to comply with the relocatable provisions of the LEP and DCP.’

Developer replies

One of the developers, Brandon Saul, has hosed down what he says are misunderstandings about the proposal and process.

He told Echonetdaily that the proposal will not increase the number of people staying onsite ‘above what has already been adopted in the Rural Land Use strategy’.

Responding to queries as to expected numbers, he says ‘I suspect we’d be lucky to get 20 people at a time interested in the type of things we’d be looking to present’…..

Echonetdaily also asked, ‘Presumably this rezoning can be a catalyst for expanded operations in the future – ie a thin edge of the wedge?’

Saul replied, ‘We are not asking Council to re-zone the property. Tourism is already a permissible use on the land we propose to use for our retreat. That said, the “thin end of the wedge” argument represents a valid concern.

‘On that point, I’d encourage those that are concerned to take a closer look at the site and our proposal. While Linnaeus is a large parcel of land, most of it is not suitable for development and never will be. Much of it has already been voluntarily earmarked for ecological preservation under the council’s new “e zone” process and much of it is low lying grassland, not suitable to development…..

Note: Property developer Brandon Saul describes himself as "Serial entrepreneur with an interest in music, art, architecture, finance, technology, event management, social marketing and property development". He is currently a director of North Byron Parkands and Principal & Managing Director of The Mixed Media Group according to his Linkedin entry.

Quote of the Week

“Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says stopping development on flood plains, especially in western Sydney, will go a long way towards saving communities already reeling from multiple natural disasters. "The obvious answer is to stop development on flood plains," he said on Friday.”

[The West Australian, 7 October 2022] 

On the northern side of the Clarence River estuary, the little coastal village of Iluka is battling poor urban planning and an inadequate drainage network in a changing regional climate

Clarence Environment Centre, Winter newsletter – 2022, excerpt:

Who could have predicted that?

They have to be kidding!

The overworked phrase, “who could have seen this coming”, has been used by all levels of government to excuse the debacle which was the response to the recent flooding event across the Northern Rivers, and has been rightly ridiculed.

For 40 years, the world’s scientific community, through the UN, has been warning us that the changing climate will generate more frequent and more extreme weather events, and have begged the world’s governments to take appropriate action, with little success.

The failure of those governments to make meaningful attempts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is inexcusable. However, to fail to plan for those forecast catastrophic weather events, verges on criminal neglect. The recent flooding saw lives and property lost, businesses forced to close, and rendered thousands homeless.

In the Clarence Valley, the response to 4 decades of warnings about the inevitability of increased flooding. has been zero, something that even this latest disaster seems unlikely to change.

In fact, Council’s first act when reviewing the cause of ponding in some areas in Iluka, was to examine past rainfall data, leading to the hardly surprising conclusion that: “The significant rainfall has led to a saturated catchment and high-water table, exacerbating the time taken for water to disperse”.

Council’s statement continues with: “There has been no event or combination of events since records began that comes close to the rainfall totals recorded at Yamba”, going on to say: “We need to be aware that the most efficiently designed drainage systems are not built to cope with rainfall totals equal to that recently experienced”.

Ponding problems in Iluka from recent rains will only worsen with the clearing of forested land and replacing it with roof-tops, concrete and bitumen

Having had over 40 years to plan for just such an event, we have to ask, why haven’t adequate drainage systems been designed, and required to be installed in all new developments?

Alongside one of Iluka’s ponding problem areas, a 140-lot subdivision is currently converting 14ha of bushland into roofs, concrete and bitumen, all combining to channel rainfall, at speed, through an inadequate stormwater system, directly into those ponding hotspots.

The above image was of the condition of that housing development after the water had subsided. Laughingly advertised as “Birrigan Iluka Beach”, despite being nowhere near the waterfront, it has already changed water flows beginning with the removal of the forest which has led to the unprecedented ponding, prompting this Facebook comment (see right). 

Council should be taking its “Climate Emergency” declaration seriously, and plan accordingly, but they aren’t, with multiple floodplain developments underway or in the planning stages in Iluka and Yamba.

Interesting time ahead!

Millionaire property developer Gordon Merchant's latest Yamba DA thwarted and next NRPP meeting may be deferred again re Hometown Australia's multi-dwelling Yamba DA

 

Image: Google Earth

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING CANCELLATION –NORTHERN REGIONAL PLANNING PANEL

The following meeting has been cancelled:

· Panel reference number PPSNTH‐31 – Clarence Valley – SUB2019/0030 ‐ 52‐54 Miles St, Yamba ‐310 Lot Staged Residential Subdivision and ancillary infrastructure works including drainage reserves and the creation of a residue lot

The meeting was to be held on:

Wednesday, 21 September 2022 at 4pm

By teleconference

The meeting has been cancelled because the applicant has withdrawn the development application….

BACKGROUND

Clarence Valley Independent, 14 September 2022:

The Development Application DA for the $32 million staged residential subdivision located at the yet to be formed Miles Street, which runs east off Carrs Drive, was lodged with Clarence Valley Council CVC on behalf of Kahuna No 1 Pty Ltd, owners of the 42.5-hectare site.

The 850 metres by 500 metre site fronts Carrs Drive, with the to be constructed Miles Street and St James Primary School to the north, and Golding Street to the east.

CVC’s assessment report prepared by town planner James Hamilton notes the Kahuna Yamba Gardens DA was on public exhibition twice, with eight submissions received in the first exhibition period and 79 submissions from the most recent period.

“The Council received a total of 87 individual submissions, comprising 87 objections and no submissions in support of the proposed development,” Mr Hamilton’s report stated.

“The submissions raised issues relating to urban design, flooding, stormwater, traffic, filling, environment, services, climate change and sea level rise, heritage and impacts on the town.”

The assessment on the DA by Mr Hamilton listed six factors, including two endangered species, for refusal.

These factors for refusal included that The Rural Fire Service could not support the development under Section 100B of the Rural Fires Act 1997, and the fact the site contains two listed endangered flora species being Rotala tripartita and Spider orchid.

“Sufficient information has not been provided to enable a determination on how the proposed development will not likely have a serious and irreversible impact on these two species,” the assessment stated.

The DA was also found by council to be inconsistent with the General Residential, Flood Planning and Earthworks clauses of the Clarence Valley Local Environment Plan 2011.

“The proposal is inconsistent with the aims of Clarence Valley Local Environmental Plan 2011 as it has not been satisfactorily demonstrated that the proposed development will enable the sustainable development of the site, adequately protect areas of high ecological value and maintain the character of Yamba township,” the assessment stated.

CVC’s assessment also found the DA was inconsistent with numerous parts of the Clarence Valley Residential Zones Development Control Plan 2011, including Floodplain Management Controls, Sustainable Water Controls and Urban Release Area Controls…..

Watch this space for the next development application Mr. Merchant lodges on this land.

Meanwhile over in the Parkes Menai- Hometown Australia camp.....

It appears that Hometown Australia Management Pty Ltd's est. $33.9 million development application DA2021/0558 for 138 dwellings, an exhibition home and community facilities at 8 Park Ave, Yamba, may be deferred yet again by the Northern Regional Planning Panel (NRPP) as the NSW Dept. of Planning and Environment has not yet submitted its review of the flooding and risk evacuation procedures supplied by Hometown at the request of NRPP.

This is a proposed development with an unhappy history. The original land clearing and landfill under a Parkes Developments DA resulted in the unapproved felling of a significant number of native trees in the adjoining dedicated Wattle Park.  

Further, although the original land fill on 8 Park Ave is estimated to have reached RL2.8AHD so that the site only has a 1% (1 in 100) chance in any given year of being surrounded by 2.08 to 2.51 metres of flood water, the stormwater flows from this approx. 6.65ha lot enter an inadequate on-site and extended drainage network. 

Resulting in situations like this for established homes now at a comparatively altered ground level approx. 2.8m lower than the very large Park Ave lot.

Extract from a submission to Clarence Valley Council,
28 October 2021 

Extract from a submission to Clarence Valley Council,
29 October 2021 - open ditch drain

Extract from "West Yamba Update", West Yamba Information,
21 June 2022 - before and after height of common boundary
with 8 Park Ave, Yamba

This is a situation which during prolonged/high rainfall events is likely to exacerbate the 2-5% chance of mixed stormwater-riverine water inundation in adjacent streets and across a number of residential properties. As occurred in the March 2022.

An example of what land clearing and landfilling looks like in the small coastal town of Yamba in Northern NSW

THEN

Section of WEST YAMBA URBAN RELEASE AREA to the west (left) of Carrs Drive from below Harold Tory Drive down to Miles Street. IMAGE: Google Earth. Click on image to enlarge

The Sydney Morning Herald, 19 March 2007:

Plans to build 1100 homes on a flood plain have triggered a wave of worry, writes Linton Besser.

FOR 250 kilometres, the Clarence River snakes through northern NSW before it meets the coast at Yamba.

There, during heavy rain and high tide, the estuary spills its briny current over a huge flood plain just west of the town. The 340 or so hectares of salt marsh, melaleuca forest and mangrove swamp act like a giant sieve, filtering the floodwaters as they make their way into Lake Wooloweyah to the south.

Now though, the Clarence Valley Council is one vote away from rezoning the West Yamba flood plain and turning it into a busy residential area.

In a monumental decision, the council has foreshadowed dumping 270,000 truck loads of fill on the area to raise it high enough to make it habitable.

Council planners want the area to house a new population of 2700 people in 1100 dwellings, with development levies to pay for an overhauled sewerage scheme, roads and other infrastructure.

But green groups say the proposal, first mooted in 1995, will put Yamba at risk from rising sea levels, and represents a dramatic threat to the area's sensitive wetland ecology.

And even the proposal's architect, the council's environment and planning director, Rob Donges, acknowledges it is out of step with today's planning regime.

"There are acknowledged problems there. It is flood-prone, low-lying land with a high water table," he said. "We have never hidden the fact that if we were to start the process of West Yamba today there would be doubts as to whether council would proceed."

The council has not yet received the findings of a flood risk management plan, commissioned to examine the effects of altering the area's natural drainage corridors, but Mr Donges has recommended the draft local environment plan go ahead anyway.

He insists the wheel has turned too far to stop now……

NOTE: Former member of Maclean Shire Council & Clarence Valley Council senior planning staff, Mr. Donges now acts as a planning consultant, advising property development companies and assisting with their development applications. Applications he has been associated with include large-scale subdivisions in Yamba (including West Yamba), James Creek and elsewhere in the Clarence Valley. Mr. Donges has previously been involved with the West Yamba Urban Release Area as a local government employee.

NOW

Townes Contracting Group

Yamba Residential Developments

Carrs Drive 160 lot subdivision stage 1

Contract value: $12.5 million

150,000m3 of select fill 

Section of WEST YAMBA URBAN RELEASE AREA  that is currently being developed. IMAGE: Townes Contracting Group, 5 Riley Street, Tenterfield, NSW, 2372. Click on image to enlarge