BYRON SHIRE Mayor, Simon Richardson and fellow Greens councillors have joined in opposition to the proposed Bangalow Food Hub.
Mayor Richardson will move an urgency motion against the proposed development at Council’s Thursday Aug 3 Council meeting.
“This Food Industries Precinct provides too much local impact for too little local benefit,” he said.
He said that since Council has been excluded from the decision-making process, Councillors are left with the only alternative – to oppose the development as “Local residents who love our Shire.”
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On Thursday Aug 3, Mayor Richardson will move an urgency motion that Council’s opposition to this DA be adopted.
“It is crucial council stands alongside the teeming majority of local residents who oppose the outrageous scale and size of this proposal,” he said.
His motion will include:
1. That Council prepare a submission on the Development Application 10.2016.283.1- Rural Industries Food Precinct.
2. That a Council staff member (not involved in the assessment of the Development Application in point 1) be requested to finalise a submission on behalf of Council objecting to the Development Application 10.2016.283.1 on the following grounds:
a) excessive bulk and scale of buildings and infrastructure not in keeping with a rural and local village setting.
b) failure to provide clarity on the changing cost of the project to make it eligible for JRPP consideration; and lack of certainty as to changes that have exacerbated the cost increase; requiring either a need for an amended DA, or an extended period of exhibition for public submissions
c) insufficient information to enable an informed consideration of the traffic impacts, as many activities and tenants are yet to be identified and the mix between car and truck movements are yet to be known.
d) failure to adequately address koala impacts on site and nearby through the submission of a Koala Plan of Management for the site and its development, including dealing with potential threats to connectivity;
f) failure to outline the need for such a large food industry precinct, as only two tenants have been identified, calling into question the accuracy of defining the DA as a food industry precinct.
3. That the Council submission be finalised and submitted up to seven days before any scheduled JRPP meeting on the Development Application. This submission to include any other matters that may be pertinent to the consideration of the Development Application by the JRPP in addition to those in point 2 above.
4. That Council confirm a staff representative and the following individual Councillors: Richardson, ……, ….., Cameron and …..to be registered to address the planning panel at the scheduled meeting of the JRPP to express the views of Council.
5. That Council request the JRPP to hold a public briefing meeting after the exhibition has ended, and invite any person who made a submission to present, before the assessment report is finalised.
6. That Council write to Ben Franklin MLC, Tamara Smith MLA, Justine Elliot MP, Walt Secord MLC, Dawn Walker MLC and Gabrielle Upton MP, outlining the resolution and request their support.