Kiama Council can finally sell five blocks on Glenbrook Drive that have been locked away for more than three decades. Photo: First National Coast and Country.
Five blocks of land owned by Kiama Council but unable to be sold for more than 30 years have gone on the market.
The fully-serviced residential lots in Glenbrook Drive have sat idle since 1991 when the State Government placed a ban on any building activity due to the proximity to the nearby Bombo Quarry.
In April this year Kiama Mayor Cameron McDonald called on the government to lift the ban, which council said limited development and devalued the lots.
The covenant was lifted in August after Transport for NSW agreed to replace it with an easement, which preserves necessary protections without preventing development.
“After years of persistent advocacy and negotiation from council, the Minister for Transport had approved the removal of a longstanding restrictive covenant on these five residential lots,” Cr McDonald said.
The sale of the five blocks was milestone action in its State Government Advocacy Plan, which was released prior to the September Kiama byelection and outlined council’s key requests from government.
“Council is working towards ensuring our growing community is provided with the catalytic and enabling infrastructure it requires. Council is doing this while managing its financial sustainability obligations under the state-imposed varied performance improvement order,” the advocacy plan says.
Cr McDonald said clearing the lots for sale was a significant step toward addressing local housing needs and council’s long-term financial sustainability.
The lots are listed with First National Coast & Country and will go to auction on 25 October. Each lot will be offered individually.
“This is a win for the community and for our council’s advocacy efforts,” Cr McDonald said.
“The listing of the Glenbrook Drive lots was one of our key advocacy plan objectives, and I’m proud we’ve now achieved it. It shows that when we set goals and work together, we can deliver real progress for Kiama.”
However, the mayor said there was more work ahead.
“We still have important advocacy priorities to deliver – particularly the lifting of restrictive covenants on council’s Spring Creek landholdings,” he said.
Council CEO Jane Stroud said a similar advocacy push was underway to resolve the Spring Creek restrictions.
“Achieving this resolution at Glenbrook has been a massive step forward and it sets a strong precedent,” she said.
“The financial uplift for council is significant, and we’re committed to pursuing the same solution for Spring Creek.”
