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CURRENT PROJECTS |
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Project - click on title to navigate to details |
Details |
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From date |
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Development Control Plan DCP 54 - Amendments 2 to 4 Huskisson commercial centre
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Planning for: Owen St, Currambene St, Morton St - central area of Huskisson. Includes geographically the Owen St “bottle shop” car park and the RSL or “Diggers” car park, however their planning relationship within DCP 54 is not completely clarified.
Click on the link at left to go to the DCP54 page. |
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2006 - current |
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Indian Myna bird eradication program |
We have seen an increasing local prevalence of the introduced bird, Indian Myna. These birds are one of the most invasive species of bird in the world. They take over nesting hollows, evicting native birds and small mammals and they prey on nestlings. They also pose a threat to human health and create a fire hazard with the huge amount of nesting materials they bring into ceiling cavities.
Huskisson Woollamia Community Voice and Healthy Cities Shoalhaven have received an Australia Post Landcare Grant to raise awareness about the impact of this exotic invader and humanely reduce their numbers. We have invited an expert in eradication of Indian Mynas to help us run a public meeting and to advise on trap building and eradication of the birds.
If you are interested in finding our more and perhaps becoming a bird trapper, or if you know anyone in the Bay and Basin area who is interested please come to the Myna Action meeting, or call to express your interest: Saturday 19th July, 2008, 9:30am to 12:30pm, followed by a barbeque lunch at the Huskisson Community Centre. If you are going to stay for lunch, or are unable to attend but want to be involved please call Meg Bishop on 44418885 |
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July 2008 |
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Proposed amendments to Guidelines for Community Consultative Bodies
Read the HWCV submission
Read SCR article on 20 Aug 2008 about Council scrapping Specific Interest CCBs |
The proposed amendments include new provision for “Specific Interest” CCBs. The HWCV believes this has a lot to do with local area Huskisson and elected Councillor politics, but much less to do with facilitating cohesive and genuinely representative community consultation.
The Huskisson Chamber of Commerce and Tourism (HCoC&T) wishes to have their own seat at the table during community consultation. They applied to be a business consultative body. The elected council voted for them to be a full CCB, despite the HWCV already existing as a community based CCB for the area. This was later watered down to the notion of the HCoC&T as a “Specific Interest” CCB. That is, the HCoC&T did not wish to participate in the existing community based CCB
Update: in August 2008, Council scrapped the plan for Specific Interest CCBs. |
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July 2008 |
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2 Murdoch Street, Huskisson DA 07/3188 (at Moona Moona Ck bridge)
Read the HWCV submission... |
Proposed 4-storey block of flats in a location that is extremely sensitive for the future welfare of Jervis Bay. The proposed development is in a bush fire prone area, as it adjoins Jervis Bay National Park. It is also adjacent to Moona Moona Ck at it’s outlet into Jervis Bay Marine Park. The proposed construction is to be located between the 10 and 100-year flood zones. It is proposed to have underground parking, which seems ridiculous in this situation. Local experience suggests that there is considerable risk to the longevity of the construction, due to the sandy soil and the potential for extreme floods.
The quality of water in Moona Moona Creek is already affected detrimentally by spills at the treatment works further up the creek. Any development with so many hard surfaces, and this close to the creek, will add to the run-off into the creek. Oil from leaking sumps in vehicles, washdown of vehicles, and nutrient run-off from fertilised plantings, all have the potential to detrimentally effect the water in the creek and Jervis Bay. The capture, cleaning and disposal of storm water is vitally critical for a development so close to Moona Moona Creek.
Paddling up Moona Moona Creek provides a view of a beautiful natural environment, one that attracts visitors to the area and entices people to live in the area. This development is out of scale with this natural environment and thus visually intrusive. The scale is far in excess of medium density and TOO large for the site and the foreshore.
The HWCV have implored Council to carry out its obligations under the Local Government Act and complete that planning necessary for a DCP to be defined, exhibited and adopted before any developments in any 3(g) Business zones within Huskisson and without a DCP are considered.
The report from the SCC Development Committee, adopted at the 20 November 2007 Ordinary Meeting of Council clearly stated that: “...Resolved that any determination in relation to Development Application – Mixed Use Residential Flat Building Development - …Nos. 1 and 1A Beach Street, Huskisson shall not be interpreted as a policy direction for other SEPP 65 applications…”
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March 2008 |
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41 - 45 Owen St Huskisson DA 07/2677
Read the HWCV submission of 12 March 2008.
Read the follow up submission of 23 June 2008 |
Some concern in regard to the validity of this DA. As a 4-storey construction, it will block the views of relatively new buildings on the south side of Owen Street. Not only does it exist in both 3 (a) and 3 (f) zones, but also exceeds the majority consensus, at the recent DCP 54 workshop, on heights appropriate for the north side of Owen Street . It also exceeds the height and bulk precedents set by the Cerulli development, and the DA approved for 35 to 37 Owen Streets, the former in the 3(a) zone and the latter in the 3(f) zone.
The applicant claimed that the proposed development would be consistent with the desired future character of the area and concurred with the aims of the Coastal Protection Policy. While certainly of a character desired by the developers in the area, it is not so desirable in the eyes of the wider community. The Huskisson community developed a Statement of Desired Future Character to be consistent with a strong and vibrant community AND supported by a strong tourism economy. The HWCV asked that this be given equal weight with the views of the business community.
There is precedent for 3-storey construction on the north side of Owen Street but NOT for 4-storeys. |
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March 2008 |
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Two draft dual occupancy subdivision amendments, to formalize draft policy (SPP5) into DCP 57 and DCP 100.
Read the HWCV submission |
Draft Amendment No.5 (amends DCP 57 – Dual Occupancy Guidelines) ... and ... Draft Amendment No.2 , Element DO1 (Dual Occupancy Subdivision - amends DCP 100 – Subdivision Code)
In November 2006, draft SPP5 extended the applicability of DCP 57 to the smaller size lots, down to cadastral size minimum 800m². SPP5 also provided a financial incentive to increased built density of settlements by allowing, subject to performance criteria, for subdivision of dual occupancy. |
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April 2008 |
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Rabbit Control Program
(Jointly with Council). |
The HWCV is working with Shoalhaven City Council in a joint rabbit poisoning program. The program will use a combination of volunteers and Council staff to undertake a monitoring and poisoning program on Council parks and reserves, crown land, caravan parks, sporting complexes and road reserves away from houses. Council staff will drop the poisoned carrots. |
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May 2008 |
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51 Owen St, Huskisson DA 08/1317
Read the HWCV submission, incl. diagram on page 2 (size 460 kB, will take a little while to open). |
Three-storey mixed use building at the western end of Owen St, and runs through to Field St at the rear. The HWCV submitted inter alia that the proposed building seems to meet the general intent of DCP54, except that:
the articulation of the building to Owen and Field Streets is inadequate on the criteria under the DCP. The need for “Residents Only” car parking in Field St was also noted. |
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March 2008 - current |
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Husky Pub licensing hours - trial of extended hours |
SCC approved Husky Pub to have a trial period of trading an hour later on Friday and Saturday nights, closing at 1am next morning. |
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September 2006 - current |
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26 Jervis Street, Huskisson DA 08/ 1223
Link to HWCV submission on 26 March 2008
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Proposal for 4-storey block of flats by developer Huscorp Holdings. Located on the corner of Jervis and Beach Streets, and adjacent to both the Huskisson Tourist Resort cabin & caravan park and the driveway to the foreshore park.
One of a spate of similar high rise applications which followed after 1 Beach St DA (4-storey flats) was approved by council (see detail in table sections under: Table of Knowledge, and 1 Beach St DA). |
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March 2008 - current |
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Huskisson “Table of Knowledge”
Read the handout (size 547 kB, will take a little while to open).
Read the summary list |
The inaugural HWCV Huskisson “Table of Knowledge” was held on Saturday morning 1 March 2008. The term is an ironic allusion to the identically named coffee shop table in Wollongong, peopled by developers, some city councillors and even one particular council planner, and which was the subject of much scandal in the lead up to Wollongong City Council being sacked by the State Government.
At the Huskisson table, the HWCV presented information to the community on the numerous current and anticipated development applications for 4-storey and taller buildings in the village, which includes one at the Moona Moona Creek bridge (at 2 Murdoch St). The community and visitors were asked to reflect on these in the context of Huskisson being a village with less than 1,000 permanent residents.
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1 March 2008 |
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Shoalhaven Draft Public Open Space Plan:
Draft Report, August 2007
More information: |
Consultants GHD were commissioned in 2005 by Shoalhaven City Council, to undertake a review of public open space within the city. As the report says “..The work undertaken critically examined the use, supply and demand and distribution of Council’s managed recreational open space as well as the legislation and policies that guide its management, development and maintenance.”
Indications are that public open space will in future come under pressure of rationalization and development, as this has been a pattern elsewhere in coastal areas. Of particular relevance to Huskisson is the future public open space demand associated with harbour developments. |
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2005 - developing in the background |
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1 Beach Street, DA 07/ 1650. |
Proposed 4-storey flats on corner of Beach and Nowra Streets, Huskisson |
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August 2007 - current |
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Subdivision application SF7946, Lot 71 DP 9289 |
Residents concerns were raised at a large borrow pit “the big hole” that had been excavated, the material being used to construct several large mounds for future building construction. In addition there had been clearing of heath vegetation on the site. The site is adjacent to Currambene Creek, and subject to flood hazard. |
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2006 - current |
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Sale of Owen St “bottleshop” carpark
38-40 Owen St and 3 Morton St Huskisson
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The two land plots on the eastern side of Sydney St, between Owen St and Bowen St, were purchased in 2007 by developer Huscorp for a total $3.25M. Huscorp now appear to have Council approval to purchase the adjacent “bottleshop” carpark - Community classified land - from Council for just $900K, plus an unspecified in-kind amount for “external works”, believed to include a traffic roundabout.
Most of Council’s deliberations have been in closed session, the community thus shut-out of the process.
This sale price is below the commonly estimated market value. The sale is contrary to advice to Council from the NSW Dept of Local Government - that the Community classified land should first be re-classified as Operational, via medium of an exhibited LEP Amendment, before the sale can occur. In addition, the sale is contrary to Council’s own legal advice.
Owning not two but three consolidated plots in this location would allow developer Huscorp to exploit a building height bonus under current the existing DCP54, to 6-storeys. |
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2007 - current |
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Multi-purpose Harbour concept, Shark Net Beach, Huskisson
More details of the concept proposal click here. |
The marina concept proposal is not known to have been exhibited for public comment, even though ratepayers money was spent by Council on commissioning the report.
The concept would be a major transformation (or rather annexation) of the Huskisson foreshore and into Jervis Bay Marine Park. White Sands Park would be at risk, given the stated concept land requirements, as also the surfing opportunities at Tapalla Point, given the concept 825m length breakwater.
In October 1994, Shoalhaven City Council commissioned a report from Yachtmarinas Australia Pty Ltd, for a proposed sail boat facility for Jervis Bay.
But more recently, the matter was on the agenda at a Council Tourism Development Committee on 8 November 2007. As well as this, a 2007 Federal pre-election advertising records Joanna Gash, Member for Gilmore, as coming out in support of a “Huskisson harbour redevelopment”. It is known that there is a marina working group within Council.
A copy of the full Yachtmarinas Australia report is contained on the CD of The Shoalhaven Tourism Master Plan, which Council say is freely available for distribution. Council also have a Concept Drawing. |
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1994 - current discussion within Council in 2007 |
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DCP 54 - Amendment 3, RSL car park |
Proposal by SCC to impose FSR 1:1 and 12m building setback on the RSL car park block. Shortly thereafter overtaken by a reduced SCC proposal for a 1:2 FSR, 3-storey building approval, with setbacks of only 5m, except for 3m adjacent to the neighbouring building. |
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July 2007 - current |
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Red macro algae in Jervis Bay |
Red macro algae in Jervis Bay Notes prepared: 14 June 2007 by Fran Clements, Jervis Bay Marine Park · The red algae on the beaches is a seaweed or macro algae of phylum Rhodophyta and shouldn’t be confused with the red algae in algal blooms which is a dinoflagellate · There are over 5,000 species of red algae, mostly marine, and over 800 known from southern Australia. · They are a diverse group that tolerate low light conditions. They rarely dominate reef communities but are most abundant in deep water benthic (bottom) communities. · They are coloured by the pigment phycoerythrin that reflects red light and absorbs blue light. Blue light penetrates water deeper than other light of longer wavelengths so the pigement enables them to photosynthesize and live at greater depths than most other macro algae. Some forms are eaten as food, e.g. nori, and used to make agar for growing micro-organisms in laboratories. · The red algae that washes up on the beaches in Jervis Bay is mainly two species: Gracilaria edulis and Acrosorium venulosum. · In the water they are often found unattached drifting in dense banks and form ‘waverows’ parallel to the beach. · The denser drifts are found mostly in the southern end of the bay · The algae is not harmful to people and is an important source of food and nutrients to marine invertebrates. · When the algae washes up on beaches and decompose it provides food and nutrients for small fauna in the sand, that in turn are a source of food for fish and crabs and bait species such as beach worms. The smell while the algae is decomposing is partly due to the plant, but mostly due to the small crustaceans that get caught up in it when its washed ashore, e.g. small crabs, shrimp etc. Sources: · CSIRO Division of Fisheries. Jervis Bay Baseline Studies Final Report Vol 2, May 1994 · Graham Edgar. Australian Marine Life: the plants and animals of temperate waters. 2000. · Wikipedia |
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Ongoing natural ecosystem process |
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