A planning proposal approved by the NSW Government will see 400 homes and a new national park created in the Shoalhaven on the state’s south coast.
The Department of Planning and Environment’s Executive Director of Local and Regional Planning Malcolm McDonald says the catalyst for the proposal was the alteration of planning regulations on land at Callala Bay and Kinghorne Point.
“The Illawarra Shoalhaven is expected to be the fastest growing region in NSW, with projections showing 68,000 new homes will be needed to support an extra 130,200 people over the next 20 years,” he says.
“This proposal is a demonstration of how we can boost local housing supply by accelerating 380 new homes.
“It’s a win for the environment as well, with more than 500 hectares of private land to be transferred to expand Jervis Bay National Park.
“This will ensure the pristine bushland and more of the Lake Wollumboola catchment remains untouched and managed into the future.”
A two-hectare local park has been earmarked for the development, preserving endangered orchids, providing improved access for fire trails and new footpaths and cycling tracks. A 20-metre vegetation buffer along Callala Beach Road will remain in place.
McDonald says the site has been identified for urban growth in past planning strategies and is ideally located close to existing services.
“A Development Control Plan will need to be prepared before a development application can be submitted and assessed, in consultation with the community,” he says.
“At that point, issues such as impacts on the environment and traffic would need to be addressed in greater detail, before any construction could occur.”
To view the proposal, visit www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/CallalaBayPP.
