The development on the South Kiama Urban Release Area will be rolled out in four stages. Photo: Kiama Municipal Council.
Civil works for the first of almost 400 new homes south of Kiama could begin sooner rather than later, after Kiama Council signed off on a planning agreement.
The agreement, signed on 5 December, secures about $30 million in on-site works and monetary contributions from the developer, understood to be Unicomb Development Services.
The initial infrastructure and subdivision proposed for the site includes an initial 81 lots between 300 and 700 sqm on the site.
The council’s planning team has finished an assessment for this stage of the development application (DA), which also includes delivery of a local park, regeneration of the riparian corridor, upgrading a section of Saddleback Road and more than $340,000 in monetary contributions to council.
The DA has been assessed against the site-specific development control plan (DCP) endorsed in February and was approved at the council’s December meeting.
If approved, civil construction works – including roads, parks, and drainage – will begin.
Once subdivision is complete, lots will be available for sale, enabling new homebuyers to lodge DAs or complying development certificates for their homes.
Located west of the M1 Princes Highway and bounded by Saddleback Mountain Road to the north and Weir Street to the south, the 40-hectare site will eventually be home to about 380 residential lots alongside open space, environmental conservation areas, stormwater management, and essential infrastructure.
The South Kiama Urban Release Area Planning Agreement which opens the site up for development was first endorsed at Kiama Council’s November meeting.
The development will be delivered in stages and is a key component of the council’s recently adopted local housing strategy.
It will also contribute to the council meeting the NSW Government housing targets.
Jane Stroud, Kiama Council CEO, said the agreement was the first of its kind in the Kiama local government area.
“This planning agreement ensures that as new homes are built, the infrastructure and open spaces that make our municipality such a special place will be delivered in step with growth,” she said.
“It’s about balancing housing needs with environmental and heritage protection, and we’re proud of the collaborative approach that has achieved this outcome.”
A conservation management plan has been prepared to protect and manage heritage items within the site, including Kendalls Historic Cemetery and the Walls of Barroul (dry stone walls).
The council endorsed this plan at its December meeting.
