Developers deny Valley project is being rushed BY LUCY ROBERTSON
14 Apr 10
Full Story from South Coast Register http://www.southcoastregister.com.au/news/local/news/general/developers-deny-valley-project-is-being-rushed/1802382.aspx
DEVELOPERS behind a proposed new Kangaroo Valley housing complex deny they are rushing their application through council in a bid to stymie community consultation, saying residents will have “ample time” to discuss the project.
David Lang, director of the Wollongong office of consultant Cardno Forbes Rigby, which is representing the Colys Group in the development application, said the proposal had been in the pipeline for years.
“It might feel quick, but it’s been on the table for some time now,” he explained yesterday. “With council planners suggesting that no more DAs be considered until their new LEP is finalised, we had no choice but to raise our objections immediately.”
Mr Lang’s claims came in response to mounting fears among Kangaroo Valley residents about the Colys Group proposal, including that the development was too large, not on a suitable site, and not subject to sufficient community consultation.
Some residents have also questioned the viability of the Colys family’s involvement in the proposal, claiming several companies managed by brothers Nic and Mark Colys have gone into administration in recent years, including two abandoned projects in Kiama and Windang.
After director Nic Colys failed to return our calls this week, Mr Lang offered a response on behalf of the company: “Both those projects involved situations where the financiers fell through,” he explained. “Nic would tell you the failure of those projects had nothing to do with him, but if you throw enough mud, it eventually sticks.
“The last two years have been pretty dramatic times for developers, and anybody who has managed to stay afloat is doing pretty well,” he continued, adding that the proposed Kangaroo Valley development is “a completely different kettle of fish” to the previous projects.
Documents obtained from the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) revealed the extent of Colys’ past difficulties, with Colys Holdings Pty Ltd going into external administration in August last year, while Colys Investments – also known as Colys Bros Pty Ltd – filed an application with ASIC for a Winding Up Order in January this year, before withdrawing the application a month later.