Planning Proposal - Wollongong City Council - NSW Government

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Illawarra region over the next 25 years, 14,800 or 39% of which needs to be medium density terraces and villas (including housing for the aged). According to the explanation paper, this equates to 25,800 new dwellings for Wollongong, comprising 9,030 or 35% medium density terraces and villas. It is also important to note that the IUDP was originally established in 1982 because the Illawarra Market Study (1981) revealed that as the region is constrained by the coast and the escarpment, the Wollongong sub-region would be the first major Australian urban area to run out of land for urban expansion. The proposed aged care facility at the subject site would help Wollongong achieve its medium density dwelling targets as well as utilise a brownfield site, ensuring the limited supply of greenfield land (a valuable commodity throughout NSW but particularly in Wollongong) is not utilised for the proposed development. The Wollongong Local Government Area Employment Lands Strategy (WLGAELS) prepared by Hill PDA (2006) identified the subject site within Precinct 16 - Wollongong, Auburn Street & Coniston, Springhill Road Industrial area. Hill PDA made the following recommendation regarding this area: “…it is recommended that the existing 3(d) zone in this precinct be rezoned to an enterprise corridor – Zone B6 Enterprise Corridor in line with the LEP Planning Template and to be consistent with the Draft Wollongong City Centre LEP 2006. The residential land between the 3(d) precincts should also be zoned B6 to encourage business opportunities to support the CBD and Port Kembla.” (WLGAELS, 2006; 79). Precinct 16 was considered by Hill PDA to have: • Good accessibility; • Low land use conflicts; • Moderate slope; • Average aesthetic appeal; and • Large size allotments. These conditions are also ideal for seniors housing. The site has good accessibility, is a large site in close proximity to the Wollongong CBD and the buildings currently occupying the site have below average aesthetic appeal. Rezoning the site to B4 Mixed Uses would not remove business opportunities from the site but rather open up more possibilities for a site that has high value due to its accessibility, size and location. The site would still be able to encourage business opportunities and employment that support the CBD. In fact the previous DA for the site proposed the following business opportunities on the site: • Small general store; • Pharmacy; • Hairdresser; • Book/gift store; • Health consulting rooms; and Warrigal Care – Planning Proposal 7
• Two business centres that could accommodate service providers such as financial advisers or law firms along with consulting rooms from which doctors and other health care professionals can operate. Strategic support for the rezoning may be found in the Site Compatibilty Certificate issued by the Director-General of the NSW Department of Planning on 19 August 2010. The Certificate is current for two years and was issued despite the imminence of the LEP. 6.1.2 Is the planning proposal the best means of achieving the objectives or intended outcomes or is there a better way? Hill PDA, through the Wollongong Local Government Area Employment Lands Strategy, believed that zoning the subject site B6 Enterprise Corridor was the best way of ensuring the 3(d) zones under Wollongong LEP 1990 continued to provide business opportunities that would support the Wollongong CBD. However, the emphasis on providing more business opportunities was very limited by the low FSR and height limit. The B4 Mixed Use zone provides more redevelopment opportunities for a site that is: • In an area of good accessibility; • Proximate to the CBD, which provides access to health services, recreational opportunities and retail facilities; and • In close proximity to the beach which provides an area of high amenity for residents. Seniors housing, due to the nature of the development (accessibility is a key issue), requires a large area of land in close proximity to transport facilities (which are usually close to the CBD). Land north of Beach Street, which is located within the City Centre, has a maximum FSR - for residential development - of 1.5:1 and maximum building heights ranging from 24m to 48m. The development potential of this land ensures that the land price is higher than that of the subject site. A senior’s housing project in these areas is not financially viable as the rate of return on a residential development is much higher and can crowd out the market. The viability of the project is underpinned by the number of ILUs tht the site can yield as these are not as heavily serviced as the RACF beds. Amendment of the building height and FSR provisions of the Wollongong LEP 2009 would enable development to a scale commensurate with B4 zones in the City Centre. This would ensure satisfactory services can be provided within the facility and a sufficient number of units can be provided to accommodate the ageing population of of the area and also to underpin the viability of the project. 6.1.3 Is there a net community benefit? The Department of Planning, through the Guide to preparing planning proposals, indicates that a Net Community Benefit Test (NCBT) should be undertaken when assessing the net community benefit of a planning proposal. According to the Draft Warrigal Care – Planning Proposal 8
Page 1 and 2: D e p a r t m e n t o f P l a n n i
Page 3 and 4: 1 Introduction This planning propos
Page 5 and 6: 3 The site and its locality Wollong
Page 7: proximity to public transport, the
Page 11 and 12: the nature of the use. The existing
Page 13 and 14: • Geotechnical Investigation and
Page 15 and 16: • Is large enough to accommodate
Page 17 and 18: State Environmental Planning Policy
Page 19 and 20: Ministerial Direction Aim of the Di
Page 21 and 22: Ministerial Direction Aim of the Di
Page 23: 6.4 Section D - State and Commonwea

Planning Proposal - Wollongong City Council - NSW Government

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