Valley site ‘too steep’ for oldies - SOUTH COAST REGISTER
12 Apr 10
See full story at South Coast Register website.
BY LUCY ROBERTSON12 Apr, 2010 09:47 AM
KANGAROO Valley residents are accusing Shoalhaven City Council of misleading the community and stymieing their right to consultation in an attempt to have a major housing and hotel development approved for the village.
Since representatives from the developer, Colys Group, made a last-minute presentation to council aboutthe proposal last week, the community's fears have intensified, after councillors allegedly failed to make time for residents, and revelationsthat the developers were not contactable.
President of the Kangaroo Valley Community Association, Barbara Woodney, said the community was shocked about the speed with which the plans were being considered, after more than two years on the shelf.
"Nobody has even been told that Colys is back on the table, let alone consulted. In the space of a week, this thing has gone from nothing to a sure thing," she said.
Mrs Woodney also said she has serious doubts about the intentions of Colys to include an aged-care facility in its complex as proposed, saying various aspects of the plan have been included just to carry it through the approval process.
"We don't believe the high-care facility will go ahead - it's just been included to appease residents. The site is completely unsuitable for aged residents because it's on a steep hill and there's no public transport," she explained.
"Andas for the claims that it will be eco-friendly, that's just nonsense. In an initial meeting with residents back when the proposal was first put forward, the developers told us the place would generate its own power and recycle water, but as soon as we started asking technical questions, they went to fluff."
The Colys Group has already hit anerve with other residents in the region.
In 2008, the company'sKiama Blue apartment complex was jettisoned as a mortgagee sale when Colys ran into financial difficulties. At the same time, the company wasfighting a long-running battle with Kiama Council in the NSW Land and Environment Court, and had another large development proposal for Shoalhaven Heads shelved at the eleventh hour over environmental concerns.