There were some objections to our development plans, we wanted to set the record straight around these objections
Please contact me at christian@wattleparks.com if you would like further detail
There are to be 11 Trees removed to accommodate the new layout. 8 of these trees are Cocos Palms (declared a weed by Sutherland Council).
Unfortunately a further 3 trees will be removed
These will be replaced by 56 new native trees
The type of home on the site doesn't determine its status. The site currently has 55 dwellings that are not caravans or road registerable in anyway. The proposal is to reduce that to 48 sites and make the homes suitable for the location.
We will be providing parking for each home plus an additional nine visitor parking spaces. This is in excess of the required 5 visitor parking spaces.
The current layout of the site does not allow for any visitor sites.
The site currently has 54 dwellings that are situated under the 1% (+500mm) flood level for habitable rooms that is required under local planning laws.
The proposed layout creates appropriately sized sites so that elevated homes engineered to suit the flood risk can be installed.
The site is within a flood prone area as are around 500 homes in Woronora, the risk needs to be managed not avoided.
The site currently has development approval for 62 sites, these can be either long term or short term. The proposal is to reduce that to 48 sites.
The flood risk from tourist caravans is significantly higher than from permanent residents in compliant housing. “Tourists tend to lack awareness of the risk. They can also dramatically swell the logistical task…residents of caravan parks include relatively short-stay occupants, who also may lack awareness of the risk.”
“Traditional caravans are constructed using aluminum cladding on a timber frame, with veneer chipboard or veneer ply furniture. Even shallow inundation causes severe damage to caravans, indicated by abrupt stage-damage curves. Moreover, vans easily become buoyant, which can raise flood levels by blocking culverts, exacerbate losses by collision with other objects, and pose hazards to boat rescue operations. (source: Flood-prone caravan parks in NSW– is the system failing? The Australian Journal of Emergency Management)
Under the provisions of the Land Lease Communities Act all current homeowners that need to have their homes moved to the new site locations will do at the expense of the operator.
If the homeowner does not wish to move their home, directions for compensation are outlined within the Act.
A shared equity model has been proposed to the current homeowners.
Transport for NSW publishes the following information (trips per hour).
– 0.15 Tripes per dwelling PM
Based upon these published guides the current layout has 17.05 Trips per hour. The proposed development will have 9.12 Trips per hour – a reduction in traffic of 45%.
The Park does not provide low cost housing, the current cost of cabins within the park are in excess of the local market price.
In the proposed redevelopment of the site, we will work with local housing authorities to assist anyone who will need to be relocated and provide notice in excess of the regulated 90 days under the residential tenancy act.
The proposal is to reduce the total number of sites while making the sites bigger to accommodate the sturdier homes.
The site has a total of 9,017 sqm with the proposed floor plan area 3,880 sqm. This creates a floor space ratio of 0.43:1. This ratio is better than required for zones RE3 and RE4 (the local residential zoning).
A further consideration goes to the landscaped part of the park, with hard surfacing (homes, roads, parking, community building and paths) covering ~5,000 sqm of the park leaving ~4,000 sqm of landscaping throughout the park. This is a landscaping percentage of 44% well in excess of the 40% required in the local residential zones and approximately 10% above what can be offered in the site under its current layout.
The proposed development reduces the number of sites within the park while increasing the open space and landscaped areas.
Under the proposed development landscaping plans there will be ~4,000 sqm of landscaping provided and 56 new trees planted plus significant numbers of shrubs, grasses and groundcovers.
The height restrictions for the site are 9.0m with the proposed housing being at a height of 7.4m. The majority of surrounding homes are at a two storey level, additionally the adjoining RFS building plus the neighbouring commercial building are two storey or above, as are the current office and amenities buildings.
The site has a total area of 9,017 sqm with the proposed floor plan area 3,880 sqm. This creates a floor space ratio of 0.43:1. This ratio is better than required for zones RE3 and RE4 (the local residential zoning
Manufactured Homes can be built to match any required Bushfire Attack Level. The proposed development includes 8 sites that fall within a vegetation buffer zone. These homes will comply with the BAL specifications.
The RFS determines long term occupation to be at a lower risk than transitory occupation.
“Some SFPPD are occupied on a short- term basis by people who are unaware of their surroundings and the appropriate procedure to follow in the event of a bush fire” “The NSW RFS considers that long-term occupants will be familiar with their surrounds, safe refuge areas and evacuation routes.”
“Standard type caravans and motor homes used for short-term tourist accommodation generally cannot achieve any level of construction under AS 3959 or NASH Standard. The emphasis is therefore placed on APZs and emergency management, with consideration given to leaving early and non- operation on days of elevated bush fire danger.” (source: PLANNING FOR BUSH FIRE PROTECTION: A guide for councils, planners, fire authorities and developers NOVEMBER 2019).
The current park does not include any sites devoted to caravan or motorhome accommodation
The site is within flood and bushfire zones, as outlined in Short Term vs. Long Term and Fire Risk. These risks are better managed through accommodation that is designed specifically for the site and by having long term residents.
There will be a reduction in the number of sites from 62 to 48 resulting in a reduced intensity, this combined with improved housing design incorporating insulation and breeze flow will reduce peak air conditioner demand.
As outlined by the electrical engineer, “All works will be in accordance with Ausgrid's connection policy and network standards”. Ausgrid will define the power required for the site and it will not impact other homes in the area.
Within the construction management plan included in the development application, there is a section - Removal of Hazardous Material – it reads
“As part of the demolition of the existing office and amenity block, the hazardous materials register will be updated and all material will be disposed of by licensed hazardous material removalists.”
The height restrictions for the site are 9.0m with the proposed housing being at a height of 7.4m. The majority of surrounding homes are at a two storey level, additionally the adjoining RFS building plus the neighbouring commercial building are two storey or above, as are the current office and amenities buildings.
There is a reduction in the number of sites and an improvement in the acoustic management of the dwellings, there will be no noise impact.
As highlighted in the traffic report there will be no impact in terms of traffic.
There is no application for a rezoning of the site.
The type of home on the site doesn't determine its status. The site currently has 55 dwellings that are not caravans or road registerable in anyway. The proposal is to reduce that to 48 sites and make the homes suitable for the location.
The maximum number of people per site is regulated under the Local Government (Manufactured Home Estates, Caravan Parks, Camping Grounds and Moveable Dwellings) Regulation 2021, it is set at 12.
No residential property in the Sutherland Shire is given a maximum number of occupants
Leaving aside the increased risk from flood and bushfire as outlined by short term tourists, the area is very well serviced by short term accommodation. There are 16 Hotels within 10kms, with a further 90 options on Air BnB.
Since March 2019 the park has had over 1251 guests stay, with only 175 staying for less than 2 weeks.
The land is not owned by the council it is privately owned. It has been a caravan park since 1956 and will remain so.
The current layout has 62 sites each with sewer usage, the proposed development will reduce the number of sites to 48.
There will be no impact upon the sewer system from the development.
New Site Layout with 48 sites and one way traffic flow
New Community Centre with managers residence above
Communal kitchen and dining
Deck area with open fireplace
Herb Garden and landscaped surrounds
Extensive planting of new trees, shrubs and ground covers.
Fencing and landscaping to reduce visual impact.
Over 4000 sqm of landscaping on site
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