Greens’ Kiama candidate
Woolies submits amended DA p3
Owner to fight Maze closure
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Christmas round-up p7
Mitch and mates triumph p10
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3 DEC 2022
Council fights for Spring Creek sale
Offshore windfarm on the horizon?
Mayor Neil Reilly and Kiama Council’s CEO Jane Stroud are frustrated that a major opportunity to improve Kiama Council’s financial position, by selling land it owns at Spring Creek, is being stonewalled by the State Government. “30 years ago we did State Rail a giant favour by not subdividing and developing the land at their request, as that would have stopped quarrying,” says Mayor Neil Reilly. “We said that for $1 million we would agree to a caveat on the land with regard to vibration [from the quarrying] and that when the technology was improved we could have that caveat removed. “They haven’t held up that
end of the bargain.” The covenant has the effect of limiting the ability to build housing on the land until quarry activities cease. Council owns both five fully serviced housing blocks on Glenbrook Drive (2772m2), and a 22.7 acre (9.2ha) holding of residential zone land opposite and to the north of them. Some master planning was done on the site in 2018, but it has not been formally subdivided. It is believed it would yield upwards of 90 blocks, possibly as many as 120. First National Coast & Country’s Terry Digger says standard blocks in the area are selling for $900,000 to $1.1 million.
Mayor Neil Reilly and Council’s CEO Jane Stroud on site
Ms Stroud says that developer contributions could fund better access to the suburb, upgrading the bridge over Spring Creek and possibly even a ramp onto the highway. Back in August, the Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Sam Farraway, rejected their appeal to lift a covenant preventing the sale of the five blocks on Glenbrook Rd, “as quarry operations are not scheduled to cease for a number of years… it is inappropriate to consider the release of the covenant at this time.” Ever since Council has
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Imagine a field of 105 floating wind turbines, reaching 300 metres above the sea level, 15-35 kilometres offshore from Bombo to Currarong. This is what is envisaged for the $5 billion South Pacific Offshore Wind Project - a joint venture between BlueFloat Energy, a Spanish-based globally operating offshore wind developer, and Australian clean energy company Energy Estate - generating 1.6GW of electricity a year. If approved, the enormous floating windmills with blades 100 metres long, tethered to the ocean floor, will be visible from shore (particularly given our topography) and will become a defining feature of the region in around seven years’ time, as Australia moves towards a greener future. The details have been unveiled by the companies ahead of the Federal Government formally declaring the scope of the proposed wind farm zone off the Illawarra coast. This is necessary for
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the proponents to apply for a feasibility licence as the first stage in the process of gaining approval. “That [the feasibility licence] will give us the exclusive right to an area and the ability to deploy monitoring devices and conduct studies [bird and marine life] within that area,” says BlueFloat Energy’s Australian Country Manager, Nick Sankey. “We anticipate a lot of those studies will take two years of monitoring, and then we will go through the environmental assessment process with the Federal Government and the State for state water issues.” The process of declaring zoning in Australian waters for wind farms is underway for the first time down in the waters off Gippsland,
where the same partners are looking to develop a 2GW bottom-fixed site. In announcing the proposed zone for the Gippsland region in August, the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, said, “Unlocking the offshore wind industry is an exciting new chapter for Australia and we want to build a platform of community collaboration and continued p8
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