TRRA Chairman Geoff Washington Reports:
DEVELOPMENTS WITH NELSON BAY 2030 STRATEGY 20 January 2012
TRRA during 2011 continued to monitor progress with this project making a number of submissions to the Council Planners and to Councillors calling for the revision of the strategy to fully reflect planning principles and directives adopted by Council’s Ordinary Meeting of 24 May 2011.
These directives unequivocally required that proposed 5 storey development on Apex Park, foreshore open space and on the site of the current marina, be removed from the draft strategy to protect view corridors over the bay.
In particular, Council directed that there be no proposal for building on Apex Park or the car park east of the Marina building. Buildings on the marina precinct were to be limited to 3 storeys except for “the western end of the foreshore on the basis that the building height will not intrude upon views from existing residential properties above, on the escarpment”.
TRRA strongly requested that any subsequent revised draft strategy be submitted for public comment before being listed for adoption by Council. Council’s response was to arrange a series of Forums, (limited to stakeholders invited by Council) commencing in November 2011 and the commissioning of the Hunter Valley Research Foundation to conduct of survey of public opinion on the major issues raised in the Strategy.
A revised draft strategy was tabled for consideration at the first Forum. TRRA reviewed this only to find that it failed to adopt many of the key directives of Council and left many inconsistencies in the statistics. TRRA’s submission is available on the following link: HERE
Nigel Waters and I have been commenting on the information sheet and survey questionnaire to be used by the HVRF survey. Our request that there be some opportunity for respondents to express general opinions on their future vision for Nelson Bay has been taken up. The survey will be conducted by phone with a sample selected at random from the phone book and other lists of target groups such as absentee landlords and business people. It was due to commence in late January.
Those selected for the survey have been provided with an information sheet and advised to read the latest version of the Strategy now on the Council’s website. See link: HERE (Large File, 80 Pages)
The latest map showing building heights on page 51 is of particular interest. Finally the proposal for 5 storeys across the foreshore, on Apex Park and the car park east of the current marina buildings has been dropped. The yellow shading now is for 3 storeys, no building is shown on the car park or Apex Park. There is still a concern that the block of land immediately west of the Paradiso apartments is shown as 3 storey development. I have drawn this to the attention of Laman Street residents who have provided me with written advice that should assist in correcting this inclusion. I think they will be making separate representations on this particular matter.
The TRRA Planning Sub Committee will be represented at the next Forum meeting expected in mid February. It will need to look carefully at the latest draft posted on Council’s web to check on the extent that our November submission has been taken into account.
I had the pleasure of 10 days on the South Island of New Zealand in early December and visited Queenstown which is real success story for tourism and regional development. It’s success is also a consequence of sound strategic planning which has guided the density and quality of urban design for the town. The site and planning issues are very similar to those in Nelson Bay with a small harbour and limited foreshore land, backed by a relatively flat CBD surrounded by sharply rising slopes. Its natural assets and view corridors across the lake are critical and these are given due recognition in their 2009 Strategic Plan. They have limited building heights to 2-3 storeys across the waterfront and the CBD. If you have the time may I suggest you look up this strategy (especially the introductory sections on the following link.
http://www.qldc.govt.nz/strategies_and_publications/category/612/ Scroll down to Queenstown /Urban Design Strategy.
When I mentioned this example to Bruce Petersen and Peter Marler at our last forum in December, both had visited Queenstown and both regarded it as a very desirable template for a place like Nelson Bay.
NEED FOR CONTINUING VIGILANCE
It is relevant that the following paragraph appears on the first page of the latest draft strategy.
“Please note this DRAFT document is for the use of Hunter Valley Research Foundation survey participants. This Strategy document has not been endorsed by Council.”
The final strategy to be submitted to Council for adoption will undergo a further revision to reflect the results of the HVRF survey of public opinion.
Geoff Washington
