Clarence Valley Council’s Draft Local Housing Strategy has been amended to limit the construction height of new dwellings in Yamba and Iluka after Council received 873 public submissions and a petition containing 1086 signatures against the previous draft.

When Clarence Valley Council CVC placed its draft Local Housing Strategy (LHS), and draft Affordable Housing Policy (AHP) on public exhibition between October 27, 2023, and December 22, 2023, they also received 7 NSW Government agency submissions, and one from a non-government organisation.

Most of the public submissions were from residents, property owners, or holiday makers of Iluka and Yamba, who generally expressed support for the overall vision for the Clarence Valley to provide affordable, resilient housing that accommodates different demographics of the community at all stages of life.

But there were strong objections to the proposed planning interventions for Iluka, Yamba Hill and the Yamba CBD, which would have permitted new building heights of up to 18 metres at Yamba, and 12 metres at Iluka, and the prohibition of single detached dwellings in extended R3 Medium Density Residential Zones in both towns.

Concerns raised in submissions included the potential impacts to existing character and amenity, the capacity of road, sewer, water, and other infrastructure to meet increased density, lack of adequate health, medical and other services to meet increased population, flood and stormwater impacts to existing properties, negative socio-economic impacts, impacts of increased opportunity for short-term rentals, privacy and overshadowing impacts due to increased building heights, environmental and ecological impacts, and accumulated emergency evacuation management requirements.

Outraged Iluka residents made hundreds of comments on social media about the draft LHS and how it would change the character of the town, then held a public meeting where locals vented their concerns.

Yamba Community Action Network (CAN) Inc Secretary, Lynne Cairns and another member visited nearly every business in Coldstream and Yamba Streets in the Yamba CBD to notify them of Council’s LHS and AHP for 6 storeys (shop top housing).

Ms Cairns said, not one owner had been informed of Council’s proposal.

She said owners were so thankful we informed them of Council’s proposal as were the residents on Yamba Hill.

This proposal was removed from Council’s LHS with the July CVC meeting Business Papers BP stating, “Due to the multiple concerns raised regarding how increasing height of buildings will impact on local character, the existing community and local businesses, it is proposed to remove this intervention from the amended draft LHS.”

Then the Yamba CAN Inc Secretary door knocked homes on Yamba Hill and provided flyers to be letterbox dropped to residents who had not been notified of the proposal in increased building heights.

“This planning intervention will not propose to change height of buildings from the current limit of 9m,” the July CVC meeting BP stated.

“The concept to increase building heights to 12m has been removed due to the concerns regarding the potential impacts to local character and the existing developments.”

At the July 23 CVC meeting, Cr Karen Toms moved a motion that was seconded by Cr Ian Tiley that Council:

1. Place the amended draft Local Housing Strategy on public exhibition for a minimum six weeks, in accordance with Council’s Community Participation Plan.
2. Include 4 River Street, Palmers Island in the Draft Housing Strategy for exhibition.
3. Note the Officer comments and the recommended changes to the draft Local Housing Strategy in response to community and agency submissions.
4. Note that during the exhibition period of the draft Local Housing Strategy: a. seven (7) submissions were received from NSW Government Agencies and one (1) submission was received from a non-government organisation; b. 873 community submissions were received from the community during the public exhibition period of the draft Local Housing Strategy: i. 370 written submissions. ii. 503 proformas; and
5. Note that all submissions received and recommended changes to the amended draft Local Housing Strategy will be reported back to Council for endorsement following the re-exhibition period.

Councillors unanimously supported Cr Toms motion.

There were no changes in the amended draft LHS to the proposed maximum building height limit in Grafton of 20 metres.

As there were no changes to the draft AHP it won’t be re-exhibited, but the LHS will be placed on public exhibition for a minimum of six weeks, when the public will be able to lodge further submissions which council will consider.

When adopted, the final LHS will recommend actions to implement priorities of the North Coast Regional Plan 2041 and Council’s local planning and policy framework, and it will assist Council to plan for housing based on the four housing pillars: supply, diversity, affordability and resilience.  

This article appeared in the  Clarence Valley Independent, 31 July 2024.