SWR development, better roads and Adventure Park on the July agenda

Published on 14 July 2022

The next Ordinary Council meeting will be held in Council Chambers from 9am on Tuesday 19 July. The meeting will be live streamed via Council's YouTube page and on the Kempsey Shire Council website.

For a full outline of the meeting and the discussion points, please refer to the Agenda and Business Papers.

Some of the significant items on the agenda include:

Seascape Grove subdivision at Rosedale Avenue South West Rocks

Council will consider if the Kempsey Local Environmental Plan 2013 should be amended, allowing the planning proposal for Lot 801 DP1270742 Rosedale Avenue, South West Rocks to progress. The site forms part of the residential subdivision Seascape Grove Estate. Under the Kempsey Environmental Plan, the lot next to this parcel of land is mostly zoned as R1 General Residential while lot 801 is mostly C3 Environmental Management zone. 

During the Gateway determination phase, Council was asked to consult with the NSW Rural Fire Service to consider if there were any bushfire risks. The NSW Rural Fire Service formally responded that there were no concerns or issues of bushfire impacts.

Essentially, Council is being asked to:

• discuss and endorse that the C3 zone is changed to R1 to allow for residential development
• obtain legal advice on the planning proposal from the Parliamentary Counsel's office
• authorise the General Manager to allow changes to the Kempsey Local Environmental Plan
• publish the recommended changes on the NSW Government's legislation website.

Macleay Valley Recreation and Adventure Park

Council will consider the matters raised in the community and agency submissions and decide whether to make the proposed amendment to the Kempsey Local Environmental Plan (KLEP) 2013.

To enable the development of part of the Kempsey Airport land for the Macleay Valley Recreation and Adventure Pak, a Planning Proposal was submitted to enable the use of part of the land for the purposes of Indoor Recreation and Tourist and Visitor Accommodation (including Serviced Apartments, Hotel and Motel Accommodation and Backpackers Accommodation).

The Adventure Park is proposed to include a rock climbing and skydiving centre, BMX pump track, canopy piloting pond, self-contained and bunkhouse-style accommodation and associated infrastructure.

Addressing the cemetery reservation fee deficit

Over the past 12 months, Council set a new strategic direction for cemeteries in the Kempsey Shire. When the 2022-23 Fees and Charges were adopted at the June 2022 meeting, cemeteries and burial fees were not consistent with the new strategy.

In the 2022-23 Fees and Charges, the reservation fee was increased from $744 to $2,100 and the burial fee was reduced from $3,235 to $2,000. This new fee structure is still applicable for reservations made on or after 1 July 2022. However, if it is applied to reservations made prior to 1 July 2022, then Council will see a financial loss of $1,235 per burial. 

The adopted 2022-23 Fees and Charges saw the following changes to reservation and burial fees.

Council is being asked to endorse the new fee structure and place this on exhibition for 28 days to allow public comment. Following the exhibition period, the new fees will be presented to Council for adoption at a future meeting.

Working towards a more sustainable road network

The NSW Local Roads Conference focuses on discussing road related issues with this year's highlighting the impact that the increasing number of natural disasters, COVID-19 and skill shortages have on maintaining local road networks.

Topics discussed included:

• grant funding and a skilled workforce are paramount to councils delivering an effective and safe local road network in these difficult times
• the evidence indicating that fixing roads reduces the costs of goods to the freight industry, which, in turn, can impact small businesses in regional communities
• the Fixing Country Bridges Program is a great initiative but there is work to do to have sustainable and resilient local bridges
• the challenges in addressing skill shortages and if the right policies are being created to close this gap.

Council is being asked to endorse a statement drafted at the annual New South Wales Local Roads Conference outlining desired outcomes for local government areas in NSW.

Development activity in the shire between April and June 2022

Each quarter, development activity and any planning approvals that included changes to the Kempsey Local Environmental Plan are reported to Council. This includes the number of development applications determined, their approximate value and the number of dwellings approved.

Council is being asked to receive and note the Quarterly Development Activity Statistics & Local Environmental Plan Variations for the fourth quarter of the 2021-2022 financial year.

Order of Business considered in open session

9.1 Planning Proposal PP-2021-7403 - Rosedale Avenue, South West Rocks

9.2 Planning Proposal PP-2022-529 - Facilitate the Macleay Valley Recreation and Adventure Park

9.3 Cemetery Fees and Charges – Reservations

9.4 New South Wales Local Roads Conference Communique 2022

9.5 Quarterly Development Activity Statistics & LEP Variations – 4th Quarter – 2021- 2022

9.6 Business not included in the Agenda

9.7 Statement of Cash & Investments – June 2022