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‘Completely inappropriate’ Katelin voices concern over 14-storey high-rise plan Paul Suttor
K
iama MP Katelin McInerney says it’s “completely inappropriate” for a developer to want to build a 14-storey development in the town centre. McInerney told The Bugle that she has written to NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully to voice her opposition to the plan by Level 33 to request permission for double the Kiama Council-approved height limits. Level 33 is set to request the Housing Delivery Authority to allow a much higher development on the corner of Akuna and Shoalhaven Streets. The developer has dropped its legal action against Kiama Council in the Land and Environment Court and is expected to lobby Housing Minister Paul Scully and the Housing Delivery Authority to have the project declared a State Significant Development, which would effectively sideline Council from limiting its height to the already approved level of seven storeys. And while Council is aiming to increase the supply of homes in the LGA via its Housing Strategy and the NSW Government is looking to provide solutions to the housing crisis which has gripped the state, McInerney said the Akuna St
HDAproposal would not suit Kiama. “I don’t wanna see, and neither, quite frankly, does anybody that I speak to want to see Kiama move to a big high-rise here in the main street,” she told The Bugle. “I share those concerns around the proposal. I’ve written to the Minister for Planning and I’ve said it’s completely inappropriate. I can’t see how they would achieve it given how much parking they would have to dig into bluestone. It would be very difficult to make something like that stack up. I’ve got huge concerns about that.” McInerney has been talking to affected local residents and community groups about the Shoalhaven Street Precinct where a 450home development could proceed after the two-hectare site is rezoned. “The State Government has been brought in to do a rezoning and I can completely understand the cynicism from people on this and that Council have expressed they want to do things differently,” she said. “Both State Government and Council being up front with the community going out to community consultation at the rezoning proposal stage to talk about what this two-hectare site could possibly deliver. “People have put so much love and work into their
homes near the site. Council have communicated the intent is to do this differently because we have an opportunity to do something in town that meets the needs and the community expectations, unlike when a block of land is sold to a developer and it goes out of their control. “I can understand the concerns of those people in the vicinity. I don’t want something that reaches to the sky here either. We have these beautiful heritage houses nearby that are such a huge part of Kiama’s character. It’s an exciting opportunity which needs to be in line with community expectations. If we don’t do it, we will lose people out of our community that we need.” McInerney said there was a need to provide options for older people to move out larger family-sized homes. She noted the role of the Kiama Council Local Housing Strategy and benefit of open community consultation. “It went out to the community twice. One message that’s really clear was we don’t want Kiama sprawling out over the green rolling hills,” she said. “The NSW Labor Government has a very clear mission - we need to build housing. We need to build it much quicker. What we need
for not just our ageing demographic, but the workforce to provide for that. “The Strategy went out to the community twice. One message that was very clear was the community don’t want Kiama sprawling out over the green rolling hills,” she said. “The NSW Government has a very clear mission – people need housing and we need to get more keys in doors sooner. What we need more housing not for not just our ageing demographic, but the workforce who provide the services to support them. The Strategy data details
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